Of Thistles and Honey

Chapters

Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 7
Epilogue
Chapter 6

Chapter 1

For the longest time, there was only white; fluffy, nonexistent whiteness that filled his vision and muffled the frantic beating of his wings, thudding in and out of time with the pounding of his heart in his ears. Silence filled his thoughts as his mane gathered moisture from the clouds around him; he forged ahead undaunted, his hooves held before him as he screamed forward, heedless of what lay before him or behind him. He was getting closer, he knew he was. Any moment now… He could feel the change in the air around him; it grew abruptly less cold, and he felt himself smile broadly in anticipation.

Suddenly there was a flare of bright white light as the gray and black form of Wild Wings burst from the tall cloud bank into the open air; he felt his heart swell in his chest as the land of Equestria unfolded around him, rolling hills and ample plains stretching beneath him as far as his red eyes could see. He laughed aloud at the sheer joy he felt in his heart as he glided through the air; he dipped his left wingtip and banked steeply down the huge face of the cloud he had been flying through, sending wisps of vapor swirling up in his wake.

He glanced behind him, his smile growing even larger as he did so; on his tail, skirting so close to the clouds that her left wing sliced through them like a knife through butter was a cyan Pegasus with a rainbow-colored mane, her magenta eyes intent as she pursued him through the sky. Their eyes met for the briefest moment, and Wild Wings couldn’t keep himself from giving her the crooked grin that everypony knew as his signature; a grin that Rainbow Dash returned whole-heartedly. Wild laughed again as he reached the bottom of the large cumulonimbus cloud; with a twist of his shoulders he rolled himself onto his back and flared his wings wide, sending Equestria rising up to meet him as he rocketed towards the ground in a nosedive.

Behind him he heard Rainbow echo his laughter, and he knew without a doubt that she had mirrored his move perfectly; the young mare was an exceptional flier, and today she was at the absolute top of her game. The ground screamed up at him, the multi-hued tops of the trees in the Everfree Forest reaching out for him like tendrils from a strange undersea creature, lying in wait, ready to catch him by the wings if he made even the slightest mistake. His eyes narrowed in defiance of the forest as at the last possible moment he flared his wings wider, completing the reverse half-loop and sending him rocketing across the treetops.

He wove between the outstretched branches of the forest, the reds, oranges and yellows of their quickly-changing leaves streaking through his vision faster and faster as his wings pumped furiously; he could feel leaves brush his left leg as he wove to the right to avoid a particularly large branch jutting up from the canopy. His blood sang as he whipped back around another large bough, cutting his turn so sharply that his wingtip brushed the leaves below; out of the corner of his eye he spied Rainbow Dash’s tail as she followed him through each of his moves, and the sight sent his heart racing even faster. Oh, silly Dash, he thought with another crooked grin. I’m going to make you wish you’d stayed back a few pony-lengths!

Ahead of him the forest thinned, the trees becoming smaller and farther apart; together the two Pegasi blazed towards them, their speeds increasing as they came closer to the ground. Wild Wings reached the edge of the thick trees and dipped his wings ever so slightly, sending him below the canopy of the sparse outer forest. Thick, dark trunks of trees whipped by his face close enough that he could smell them, the musky, earthy tones of their wet bark filling his nostrils as he turned from sheer speed, which was very much Rainbow Dash’s forte, to the very thing that was his own special talent: agility.

He banked to the right, sending his lithe body shooting through a sharp turn between two huge trees; he felt his mane brush the bark of the one closest to his head, but the proximity only fueled the fire in his soul. With a twist of his body he banked left, through another pair of closely-set trees, then back to the right, weaving through the trees with the same precision that a seamstress wielded her needle in her most delicate works. He whirled and twisted, his wings always just barely far enough away from the trees and ground to avoid touching them, always a hair’s breadth away from disaster and horrible, life-changing injury. Just the way I like it. He didn’t bother glancing backwards; he knew that if he took his mind off of the forest for just one moment, it would eat him as surely as a hydra would.

Finally, he gave a quick barrel roll as he skirted around another tree and his wingtips flared, sending him soaring upwards… into the canopy of the very last tree in the forest. His eyes narrowed, and his grin broadened. Time to thread the needle! A flick of his wings in separate directions sent him into a rapid corkscrew, and just before he impacted the canopy he pulled his wings in tight, sending his body spinning even faster, his hooves extended before him. He pierced the shroud of leaves and felt them brush against his coat… and for a moment time seemed to slow around him as his head filled with the earthy scent of the tree. He could see every branch within the treetop, every bough, every twig that reached out to him as he spun through it; he felt a branch brush his flank, saw his hooves plow through a smaller branch and scatter leaves into his mane. The colors of the tree whirled around him in a dance that nopony had seen, and one that nopony would ever see again; it was a dance made just for him, on this day, at this moment- a slice of time that was his, and his alone.

Finally time returned to him, and with a burst of leaves he exploded out the other side into the bright afternoon sunlight, his wings snapping back out and resuming their frantic pumping as he rose slightly into the sky, his laughter echoing loudly in the quiet of the forest.

He heard Rainbow complain loudly behind him as she rose out of the tree, spitting leaves from her mouth. He chuckled and immediately cast his eyes about for a new challenge, something that would put not only his skills but Rainbow Dash’s skills to the test… but as his eyes swept the horizon they found the nearest town, a quaint little place with a tall, spire-like Town Hall and a library built into the middle of a huge tree. His red eyes widened slightly… and it was as if the fire in his heart was suddenly smothered by a blast of chill arctic air. His wings slowed, and his muscles suddenly burned, a feeling that he found he just couldn’t ignore any longer; as if all of the exhaustion he’d been building up had decided that it was going to trample down his adrenaline rush because it was tired of taking a back-seat.

With a shriek of delight, a streak of cyan blue and rainbow colors blazed past him into the sky, the wash from her wings buffeting him and sending him wobbling through the air. Rainbow Dash laughed as she sped away, her wings almost a blur behind her. “Looks like you’re following now, old timer!” she yelled back at him.

Wild Wings let out a vexed sigh and shook his head, trying to take the image of the town out of his mind as he hurried after Rainbow Dash; now she would get to lead the chase until he could overtake HER… but deep within his chest, he could feel the fire sputter and go out, and without his heart in this race, he knew it was over.

~*~*~*~*~

“Oooh yeah! Did you see that?!” Rainbow Dash’s wings flared wide as she alighted gently on the grass. She smiled broadly as she shook her wings out and cantered jovially in celebration. “Woo!!! What a flight! That was COMPLETELY AWESOME!” The Pegasus mare shook her mane out violently, laughing as she did so. “Oh MAN, Wild Wings, did you see that last loop?! So fast it made my teeth hurt!!”

The gray Pegasus pumped his wings firmly as his hooves closed in on the ground, settling himself gently onto the grass without a sound. Rainbow Dash continued to talk excitedly, but try as he might, Wild Wings could not focus on her voice; slowly, the other Pegasus seemed to get farther and farther away as Wild’s mind turned in on itself.

Ponyville… That was the town he’d seen overhead; he knew that it was, and even thinking the name made his chest hurt. He growled and shook his head slightly. Too many memories, even from such a short amount of time, he thought. It had been a while since he’d set hoof in Ponyville; almost three months, to be precise. Ever since the day they’d returned with the ponies who’d helped rebuild the devastated city of Whinnyapolis Wild Wings had been avoiding the town like the plague, and for good reason; he and his former colleagues, the ponies once known as Generals of Nightmare Moon, had been set to destroy the whole town before Princesses Celestia and Luna had intervened. He closed his eyes against the wave of shame that threatened to sweep him away. It’d been hard enough to escort the Ponyvillians back to their home; ever since then, he hadn’t been able to make himself go back… not yet.

“I said, doncha think, Wild?”

“Wha..?” Wild Wings’ red eyes snapped back open to find Rainbow Dash staring at him, her eyes narrow, waiting for a response from him. Hoooo boy… “Oh, um, yeah, sure,” he answered lamely, kicking his right hoof at something in the grass. “Whatever you say, Rainbow.”

The cyan Pegasus watched him for another moment before she closed her eyes and sighed. “Wild… we’ve been doing this for a few weeks now, right?” she said, her voice casual enough… but Wild Wings felt his ears twitch.

“Yeah, a few weeks,” he agreed, turning slightly away from her and casting his glance into the thin trees to his south.

Dash shifted slightly on her hooves. “And… as much as I love, and I mean looove winning… and especially winning against somepony as good as YOU… how many times have I taken the lead in these little races of ours?”

Wild Wings felt his mouth twist into a small smile in spite of himself. “…Only a few times.” She was good, he would be the first to admit it; but he hadn’t been chosen captain of the Wonderbolts in his time for no reason.

“And when did it start?”

“About… four days ago.”

Rainbow nodded. “Right; four days ago, the same day we decided that you would come closer to Ponyville for these exercises instead of me coming to Canterlot because you wanted to train me in the Everfree.”

Wild Wings sighed and nodded. “Yeah, Dash, I guess that’s right.” His voice held a slight edge of irritation at Dash’s probing of the issue, encouraging her to just drop it, but if the cyan Pegasus took notice, she didn’t care; instead, she took a step towards him, her eyes intent.

“And ever since we moved closer to Ponyville, THIS has started happening!” She gestured to him with her hoof, and her voice started to sound genuinely upset.

Wild blinked at her in surprise; of all the emotions he’d expected to see when Dash beat him in a race, disappointment wasn’t high on the list. It was a testament to his foul mood that he actually scowled at her in response. “What, you’re not happy you won?” he asked tersely.

To his further surprise, instead of becoming more upset with him, Dash just sighed and shook her head. “Nope,” she said simply, flitting into the air to cross her front hooves in front of her chest. “It doesn’t mean ANYthing if I win when you’re not givin’ it one hundred and fifty percent. I want to beat you when you’re at your best, because THIS feels the same as losing!” She settled back to the ground, falling to all four hooves once again. Wild sighed and turned away from her.

“Well, I’m sorry,” he said, his voice still tight.

He heard her step closer to him, and when he turned back towards the other Pegasus, she wore a small, friendly smile. “Do you…” she began, but she shook her head and started again. “I mean, something is bothering you Wild… even I can see that.” She shrugged her wings slightly. “Do you wanna… y’know… talk about it?”

“…what?” Wild Wings prided himself on never being caught off-guard, but to have Rainbow Dash, one of the most impulsive, Discord-may-care ponies he’d ever known ask him if he wanted to talk about his feelings did just that. He watched her carefully for a long moment, and for the briefest second opened his mouth to speak, to tell her what was buried in his heart, to spill out his innermost secrets… but just as quickly the impulse vanished, and he dropped his head slightly.

“No… sorry Rainbow,” he said softly. “I don’t know exactly what’s wrong with me… so it’d be kind of hard to talk about.”

Rainbow Dash’s face scrunched up as she scrutinized him for a moment before shrugging her wings. “All right, Wild, if you say so,” she said, but it was clear that she didn’t believe him. Wild Wings felt his heart sink even further towards his hooves. It was hard for him to lie to Rainbow Dash; she had quickly become one of his friends, and despite their almost constant competition with one another, she was always truthful with him… but he couldn’t tell her. Somehow, he knew she wouldn’t understand. With a light sigh Rainbow turned towards Ponyville and spread her cyan wings wide. “So, I’ll see you at the same time tomorrow?”

Wild Wings shook his head. “Not tomorrow Dash, I’m on duty tonight, remember?”

“Ooh, that’s right!” Rainbow applied her hoof to her forehead and turned back to give him a grin. “Well alright then! Tell Princess Luna that the one and only Rainbow Dash says hey!” She gave him a nod. “Send me a message when you get back!”

The gray Pegasus smiled and returned Rainbow’s nod. “Will do, Dash.”

With a final grin Rainbow launched herself into the sky and took off towards Ponyville, leaving Wild Wings standing at the edge of the Everfree forest. As he watched her go, he felt the shadows in his heart lengthen, and he couldn’t stop the frown that slowly overtook his features. Sorry, Dash… but I just can’t tell you. Not yet. He sighed harshly and turned his back on Ponyville as he leaped into the air. He turned his body to the northeast, his wings pumping firmly as he started towards Canterlot.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

The sun was just above the horizon when he arrived at Canterlot Castle, the tall, majestic spires rising out of the mountainside to meet him as he approached. He circled the castle once, and he couldn’t help but smile; no matter how many times he flew over it and saw it, he never got tired of seeing the seat of power in Equestria. His red eyes traced the graceful towers and stalwart ramparts as he glided slowly around the castle, his earlier worries forgotten as he gazed down at the capital city at sunset; the white walls around her blazed with red-orange light as if they would refuse to surrender to the coming night... and not for the first time Wild Wings felt an incredible surge of pride in his heart. He served the powers that lived in this place, powers that literally made the world turn; powers that made the beauty of this sunset pale by comparison. He circled high over one of the outermost towers, the banner at the top displayed proudly by the evening breeze: the symbol of the Alicorn Sisters, a white alicorn and a blue alicorn circling one another around the moon and sun- a banner that had not flown over the capital in a thousand years, until Princess Luna’s return brought it back.

Wild tilted his wings and began to glide in for a landing on one of the many large balconies that adorned the castle; this one had a huge white crescent moon worked into its stone floor, indicating that it linked to Princess Luna’s quarters- he knew that a similar balcony on the opposite tower bearing a sun emblem where Princess Celestia resided. Balance in all things, Celestia had told him once, when he’d asked about the need for matching balconies. Luna and I rule together, as we were always meant to; our castle should reflect that balance and harmony. He could still remember her smile, that funny little smile that Princess Celestia got on occasion. Besides, Luna wanted a balcony, and I thought it would be fun to have them.

Sometimes, I can’t understand our Princesses, he thought as he flapped his wings firmly, flaring them wide to slow his descent into the castle. He landed gently and took several quick steps to regain his balance, his hooves clopping loudly on the black granite of the room as he shook his wings out and settled them to his sides. The dying sunlight cast a bright column of light into the room, sending the rest of it onto deep shadow; the already dark room was decorated in dark blues and purples, contrasting sharply with accents of bright silver and white, giving the whole place a cool atmosphere, as if it were a tiny slice of the night that had squirreled itself away before the coming of the sun. Several small candles lit the darkened spaces of the room as the sun sank, and as Wild Wings made his way through the doorway and further into the room, he knew beyond the shadow of a doubt that he wasn’t alone. He paused before reaching the shadows, his ears pricked for any sound of his watchers.

He waited in silence for a few long moments before sighing heavily. “OK, I know you’re both in here,” he said, his voice tinged with impatience. “Are we going to go through this every time I show up late?”

A voice drifted out of the shadows to his left; it was a deep male voice, and Wild didn’t have to see the smile on the other pony’s face to know that it was there. “Well… we don’t have to go through it, I suppose.” He heard several gentle hoofsteps, and into the sunlight still streaming in from the doorway stepped a large, dark blue Pegasus wearing a small silver breastplate bearing the crescent moon sigil of Princess Luna. He ruffled his wings, which were easily twice the size of Wild Wings’ own, and turned his ice blue eyes to him as a smile crossed his lips. “But… it’s just that… well, it’s so much fun I don’t think we can stop.”

“Oh yeah… it’s a hoot, Shooter.” Wild said, and the blue Pegasus smiled at him. Shooting Star had served with him under Nightmare Moon, and had been one of the scariest ponies that Wild had ever met; he had been the bearer of the amulet of Fear, and had used it almost too well. Now it was hard to imagine he had ever like that; he was still quiet, as he had always been, but he was starting to develop a sense of humor…and Wild Wings wasn’t sure he was OK with that. “You guys have had your fun, so can we just-,”

“Fun?” a light female voice said from Wild’s right side. “No no, fun is what we have when you don’t show up at all.” The voice was full of mirth, and it was clear that the ribbings were all in good fun, but Wild felt his hackles raise none the less. From the shadows came a soft pink glow, and all the candles in the room lit simultaneously, drowning out the dying sunlight and causing Wild Wings to close his eyes against it briefly.

“Morninglight…” he growled softly. “You KNOW I hate it when you do that…” Slowly he opened his eyes, allowing them to adjust to the new light level, and the white unicorn to his right giggled openly.

“Well, maybe if you stopped showing up late, I would stop doing it to you,” she said, her deep blue eyes jovial. “Cutting it a little close tonight, aren’t we? You know Luna wants us here when the sun touches the horizon.” she said, arching an eyebrow at him in mock severity even as her mouth curved into a smile. “What happened? Did you get distracted by something shiny again?” She sighed dramatically. “And here I thought we had cleared all of the shiny things out of your flight path to the castle! Oh Wild, you’re HOPELESS!”

Wild Wings sighed huffily as he looked at the unicorn. Morninglight had been one of Nightmare Moon’s generals as well, and had been the bearer of the Element of Jealousy; looking at her now, it was hard to believe that she had once been cold and callous, caring only for herself and what could be gained for her. She wore her sunrise-colored mane tied loosely back tonight, the blue, orange and pink colors of her mane shimmering in the rays of the setting sun. She also wore a breastplate identical to Shooting Star and a pair of small silver earrings that dangled small crescent moons from her ear lobes- a gift from Princess Luna herself.

“No, I didn’t get distracted, shiny objects notwithstanding,” Wild said gruffly, turning away from his friends. “I just… was late, that’s all.”

“Well, we’re used to that by now,” Shooter said, his lips still curled into a small smile. “But this is late even for you, Wild.”

Suddenly, Morninglight gasped. “I know what’s going on here!” she declared, raising a hoof to her chest. “He’s… abandoning us to work with Princess Celestia’s Royal Guard! Defecting to the daylight!” She raised the hoof to her forehead and wobbled on her hooves. “Shooting Star… I think I may faint!” Shooting Star laughed aloud as she staggered about melodramatically.

Normally, Wild would have joined in the laughter; usually, it would have pleased him to no end to have Morning and Shooter both in a joking mood before a meeting with the Princess… but today it just felt like somepony had taken a hoof to his coat and rubbed it all the wrong direction. “Aaah, cut it OUT, you two,” Wild Wings snapped over his shoulder. “I was LATE, okay?! Just…” he sighed sharply and walked back towards the balcony. “Just let it go.” He turned his eyes back to the still-bright western sky where the sun was just about to touch the horizon, the red orb shimmering above the mountaintops. Wild shifted his wings in agitation, trying to chase the anxious feelings from the back of his mind as he heard hoofsteps on either side of him. He turned to his right and looked at Shooting Star. “What?” he said, his voice full of irritation.

The blue Pegasus didn’t answer him right away; instead, he took the few remaining steps separating the two Pegasi and stood next to Wild, breathing deeply of the crisp evening air. On the gray Pegasus’ other side he heard Morninglight join them, but she maintained the silence as Wild turned back to the view below the castle, trying to let the defensive fire that had flared up in his mind simmer down a bit.

This isn’t how it’s supposed to be going, he thought. In the past few weeks, he’d finally started to feel… in control of himself again. Like the fires of anger that had burned in him for a thousand years had finally been quenched. However, what burned in him now wasn’t anger. This was different; it wasn’t the white hot rage that he had once felt… but instead a slow, simmering fire that ate away at the edges of his patience, making every question, ever jest and good-natured jab feel like a physical affront to him, and eliciting a rather undesirable reaction. It was frustration; frustration at this hollow feeling in his insides, like he had a hole in his heart that couldn’t be filled, like he was missing something in his life that could be easily found… if he allowed himself to look for it.

Finally, after a few moments of standing together, it was Shooting Star who broke the silence.

“…We were just playing around, you know,” he said quietly.

Wild turned his eyes to the blue Pegasus next to him, and sighed. “Yeah, I know.” He still couldn’t believe that Shooter had changed so much; he still remembered how the other pony had once skulked about, wings tight against him, head bowed to avoid any eye contact with anypony unless it was absolutely required. Now he sat straight and tall next to Wild Wings, his head held high as he watched his friend. His heart squeezed as he met his friends icy blue eyes. It felt bad enough lying to Rainbow… how can I lie to Shooter? Of all the ponies that Wild Wings came into contact with on a daily basis, Shooting Star was the one who knew best what was eating at Wild’s heart… but… “I know,” Wild repeated, shaking his head slightly. Shooting Star watched him for another moment, his wings shuffling gently.

“It’s not like you to be so put off by joking around like that,” Shooter said in that infuriatingly flat voice of his. In spite of himself, Wild felt his ire rise again.

“Yeah, well, some days are better than others, aren’t they,” he said tersely. That tone isn’t helping enhance my calm, Shooter…

On his other side, he heard more than saw Morninglight smile. “Some days are better than others, yes… but you never miss a chance to join in a good laugh, even if it’s at your own expense.” The unicorn giggled again. “And it often is.” Wild turned his ruby eyes on Morninglight and gave her his best if-you-weren’t-a-mare-I’d-kick-you-across-the-room look, but she just laughed.

Shooting Star sighed. “Look, I know it’s only been 3 months since we’ve come back; I know that the three of us are all trying to find exactly who we are.” He gave Wild Wings a small smile. “So while it’s natural to have good days and bad days…” He sighed again and shook his head. “Know that… we’re here for you, OK?”

“That’s right,” Morning said, nodding firmly enough that her multi-hued mane bounced in its loose bindings. “One of the reasons we fell in the first place is that we didn’t talk to each other.” She smiled. “How much did we even know about each other before we were released from Dark Star? Almost nothing; we never spoke about ourselves, only about Nightmare Moon’s goals and aspirations. Always about our missions, never about ourselves. Our isolation gave our amulets the freedom they needed to poison our minds.” She reached out with one hoof and touched his shoulder. “If we want to avoid going back to that ever again, we need to learn to trust each other. All of us.”

Wild Wings sighed, and stood silent for a moment. She’s right, he thought. If we can’t trust each other… who can we trust? He looked to Shooting Star, who gave him an encouraging smile and nodded. “Yeah…” Wild said. “I know.” A part of him wanted to spill everything; to tell both of them what was in his heart, what had been slowly gnawing at his mind the past few weeks and especially the past few days... but he just couldn’t. Shooter knows most of what’s going on… but Morning doesn’t know anything… and Shooter doesn’t know the half of how I feel…

“But I… I can’t tell you guys what I don’t know,” he said. He sighed and walked forward to the edge of the balcony, letting his red eyes roam the castle for a moment before turning back to face his friends. “I’m not sure what’s wrong… but when I figure it out, you’ll be the first two to know.” He tried to give them a reassuring smile, but it faltered slightly under the flat, appraising stares that he received from them. He ruffled his wings unconsciously. “Um… okay?” he tried again.

“I think that is all that we could ask of you, Wild Wings,” a melodious voice said from inside the room. As one, the three ponies turned to face the direction of the voice and bowed, bending their right front legs slightly and lowering their horns and wings in deference. The voice laughed musically. “Please, my friends; you know that here in my chambers you need not bow so.” Silent as a shadow in the moonlight, a dark blue alicorn drifted out of the darkness at the edge of the room and into the dying rays of the sun; her sparkling, ethereal mane flowed behind her like a river of stardust, and her tail did the same as her teal eyes met each of the general’s in turn before stopping on Wild. She smiled at him, and immediately Wild felt his heart calm a little. Somehow, just being in the presence of the Princess of the Night seemed to soothe the restlessness, even if it was just a little. “You all know my expectations as to when you are to be here,” she continued, her smile widening, “But you also know that I will not send you to the Moon for being late.” Her eyes rested on Wild Wings, and it felt to him as though she were picking apart his thoughts, seeing the truth in his evasions even without speaking to him.

He shivered slightly, but managed to meet her gaze unflinchingly. “Thank you for your kind words, Princess Luna,” he said, inclining his head. “I’m glad that you are so much more… understanding than these two.” He turned his gaze on Morninglight and Shooting Star, who both simply rolled their eyes at him.

Princess Luna laughed lightly, a musical sound that filled Wild’s heart with warmth. “To be fair though, Wild Wings, they are merely trying to look out for you.” The gray Pegasus blushed slightly, but decided that it might be best to just hold his tongue. The Princess walked closer to them, her sea-green eyes sweeping the sky above them. “The time to raise the Moon draws near,” she said softly before turning back to the three other ponies. “I fear that Wild Wings was not the only pony to get a late start on their duties tonight,” she said, and not for the first time Wild reflected on how much she had changed not just from a thousand years ago, but even from when he’d first been re-introduced to her three months ago. Granted he had never known her as well as Dark Star had, but his memories of her had always been laced with bright smiles and quick, sometimes sharp words- now, after all that had happened, she always seemed subdued, quiet, and introspective.

The Princess shook her head slightly, but her smile never faltered. “So, without further ado, let us discuss tonight’s duties.” She sat down upon the balcony and the other three ponies imitated her. The alicorn shifted her wings more comfortably behind her and sighed slightly before continuing. “As you all know, the full Moon approaches; these will of course be days when you do not need to report, as they are the height of my power, and those days of all days I will have no need of bodyguards.” Her eyes swept them slowly. “And of course when the new moon is here, all three of you will report, as usual.” Wild Wings nodded; the new moon was the low point of Princess Luna’s power, when the nights were darkest and she was the most vulnerable. Each of the three ponies who served her were adamant about being on duty on such nights, and she had finally acquiesced and allowed them to stay with her.

“As for tonight,” she said, “I do have several tasks for you. Morninglight?”

“Your Highness?”

Luna smiled. “There is a problem at one particular area of Canterlot; several shops have been robbed in the last few days, and the owners are asking for our help to both find the culprits and the stolen merchandise, if possible.”

Morninglight smiled confidently, and Wild couldn’t help but roll his eyes. If there was one thing Morninglight loved, it was a puzzle, and a crime was just a huge puzzle to her. “It would be my pleasure, Princess Luna,” she said eagerly.

“Excellent.” The blue alicorn turned to the other Pegasus in the room. “Shooting Star, my sister has asked that you perform an unannounced inspection of the night Guards tonight; she trusts your military experience to tell her if her Guards are doing as they need to during the times when she is at rest.”

Shooting Star sat a little straighter. “Of course, Your Highness.”

“I know I can count on you,” she said with a smile. “Please, do not be too harsh, but if anything is amiss, please do not hesitate to report it to me.” With a nod, she turned her attention to Wild Wings, and he unconsciously sat up straighter under her gaze. “Wild Wings,” she said. “I request your presence with me tonight as my guard while Shooting Star and Morninglight go about their duties.”

Wild grinned and rustled his wings. “It would be my pleasure, Princess.” Each night, Princess Luna chose one of them to stay with her as she went about her nightly routine, and they each counted it an honor to be asked to do so; but as Wild Wings met the Princess’s gaze, he could have sworn that he saw a flicker of knowing behind her luminous orbs.

“Excellent,” Luna said with a nod. “Then don your armor, Wild Wings, and wait here for me to return.” She rose to her hooves, and the generals did the same. “Morninglight, Shooting Star; I look forward to your reports later tonight.” The other two ponies nodded, and the Princess of the Night smiled. “Very well! Until then, my friends.” She walked to the edge of the balcony, threw her large wings wide and leaped off into the air; with several firm flaps of her wings she shot skyward, making her way towards the eastern side of Canterlot.

Wild Wings watched her fly away even as Morninglight and Shooting Star left the balcony, and he couldn’t shake the suspicion that the Princess knew more about his situation than she was letting on. His eyes narrowed, and his heart grew slightly heavier still. He knew that if he had to, he could lie to Rainbow Dash; and if he absolutely had to, he could lie to Shooting Star… but he knew beyond the shadow of a doubt that he could never lie to Princess Luna… and he felt that she knew that just as well as he did. He swallowed. Well… I guess it has to come to light sometime… and if anypony should know about it, it’s Luna.

With a sigh he turned from the balcony and walked back into the room to find his armor; after all, regardless of her intention of asking him to stay with her, he was still her guard, and he had a job to do.

Chapter 2

The night had gone more or less as usual so far. Luna had been in audience in the main throne room for several hours, seeing ponies who had opted to speak to her instead of Celestia; the fact that there WERE such ponies still surprised Wild Wings. He stood at the base of the throne, his wings tucked back and his silver breastplate shining in the light from the high chandeliers as the petitioners came forward, asking for everything from blessings on their crops to a spell to cure a specific illness to help mending a bridge; all thing that were surely within Luna’s power to grant either through her magic or through her status as Princess, but Wild remembered a time when nopony spoke to Luna unless they absolutely had to- a time when she was considered the harbinger of darkness and death. Looking up at her on that golden throne, her black crown glittering in the light, her eyes kind and her smile warm… it was hard to believe that he had once thought the same thing.

After several hours, the stream of pony petitioners ceased, and Wild Wings stood gratefully and stretched. “I still don’t know how you endure this every night, Princess,” he said, his voice straining slightly as he stretched his back and wing muscles. “I can barely sit here two or three nights a week without going a little crazy.”

Luna’s gentle laughter echoed around the large room as she stepped down from the throne. “I fear it is just something that comes with being a Princess, Wild Wings,” she said with a smile. “But I will admit it does get a little… difficult… to sit there for that long.” The Princess winced delicately as she stretched her own legs before turning her luminous eyes back to him, a smile again on her lips. “Why do you think I still prefer walking during the night, as opposed to sitting on that throne?”

Wild Wings nodded eagerly. “And that’s just one of the reasons I’m glad I work for you, Princess Luna.” He stepped back and allowed the blue alicorn to lead the way from the throne room and out into one of the many halls in Canterlot Castle. The hallway curved gently around the outside of the castle, and despite the autumn air holding a chill the large windows were still left open to the world outside; Wild had been told that as winter came on, the unicorns in the castle would use their magic to form beautiful crystal windows to keep this outer hall protected from the snow and ice. A gentle breeze danced through the hall as Wild and the Princess stepped into it, teasing Luna’s mane and sending it billowing behind her as if it weighed nothing at all. Wild took up his place by her side, and together they began to walk.

Down below, Canterlot was quiet; it was now well past midnight, and the city around the castle was always silent by then. The area immediately surrounding the castle was a very rich neighborhood, filled with aristocrats and the well-to-do, none of whom had been wholeheartedly supportive of Luna when she had first arrived home; they were all what had been dubbed “Celestians”, and were staunchly supportive of their Sun Princess… which had made BOTH Princesses laugh when they had found out. The maneuverings of the pony aristocracy always seemed to amuse Princess Celestia as they scrambled for favor that was freely and equally given, and it amused Luna to think that these ponies honestly believed there was any tension between the two sisters. At first, Wild Wings had been surprised by their reactions, but after seeing the two of them together (and watching them baffle a few thick-headed aristocrats in the process) he had begun to understand: the Princesses stood together, firm and fast, and nothing would change that.

However, that had not changed the attitudes of the nobles around the castle, and it remained dark and still below every night; but that was not the whole of the city, by any means. Wild found his eyes drawn to the outer parts of the city, where bright lights could still be seen; he knew that Morninglight was out there in one of the late-night districts of the city, where more night-friendly ponies gathered to have fun after the sun went down. That had been another thing to add to his list of surprises- the sheer number of “party ponies” that there suddenly were in Equestria, and how many of them just wanted to be out beneath Luna’s moon, having a good time. The very thought made Wild look to Luna and smile. She deserves that much, at least. Luna may not have the support of many of the pony nobility, but to the regular, everyday pony, the pony who worked during the day and played during the night… she was THEIR Princess, and they were more eager to believe that the two Celestial Sisters stood as one.

The Moon Princess walked to the windows and turned her eyes to the starry sky as Wild Wings came to stand next to her. He felt his heart lighten as he looked on her face in the moonlight; her teal eyes were bright in the light of the waxing moon, and a small, delicate smile played across her lips as she looked out onto the beautiful night. It’s good to see her smile again, he thought as he looked out into the sky. She spent too long angry at the world, and then too long fearful of what we might do to it…

Just thinking about what had happened still made his stomach clench, but somehow tonight, it was worse; as he stared out at the sky above them, he was thrown back to a night just over three months past… and night when he had looked up at the sky with a very different pony. He felt his chest tighten, and immediately brought his eyes back to the city, but it was too late to keep the memories from flooding back to him.

I’m sorry… d-did I wake you up? I was trying to be quiet…

I… had a dream about… my Daddy.

…sometimes I’d go out there at night an’ sit in the garden an’ talk to Daddy up in the stars.

I hope my Daddy was as nice as you are, Mr. Wing…

Wild Wings sighed sharply and gave his head a shake, trying his best to chase the memories away… but they wouldn’t go. They were there, as they had been the last three months- waiting for the moment his mind wandered, when he dropped his guard for even a second. In spite of himself, he felt his eyes burn with unshed tears as he turned them back to the city below and forced himself to take a deep breath. Not now. Not in front of the Princess… But when he looked to Luna, he felt his heart drop into his hooves; her bright sea-green eyes were on him again, a small, knowing smile on her lips as she watched him in silence.

The gray Pegasus cleared his throat and turned back to the city, steeling himself for the questions he knew were coming; questions that he knew were the real reason that Luna had asked him to be her guard tonight. His mind rapidly went about forming the sometimes elaborate excuses he’d used on his friends in the past few days, all the while keeping his eyes away from the Princess. Maybe if I can just… not look at her… then I can get through this. And so he waited.

…And waited. His mind raced for a few minutes… and then it began to slow down.

And still he waited.

Time ticked by, and he found the fervor of his mind slowly morphing into confusion. She… hasn’t…what? His curiosity began to rise, mingling with the confusion, and almost against his will he turned his red eyes back to the Princess once more.

She was smiling out at the city again, as if nothing in the world was wrong; like she hadn’t seen anything at all. He blinked. Well… maybe she… didn’t? But he could still see the knowing in her eyes; that deep understanding that went beyond sight. And yet… she remained silent.

Wild Wings watched her for a long moment then turned his eyes back to the city, his cheeks flushed slightly. Well then. He sighed to himself and tried to regain his mental balance. If she’s not going to ask, that’s fine. I can deal with at least ONE pony not asking what’s wrong. He ruffled his wings, settling them into a more comfortable position as he took a deep breath and closed his eyes. That’s just fine. Perfectly okay. But for some reason, the antsy feeling never left, even as the moment passed… and that disconcerted him even more than the look in Luna’s eyes.

After a few more minutes, the alicorn sighed and stepped back from the window. “Well, I think it is high time to get something to eat,” she said, smiling at Wild as she walked past him. “Would you care to join me?” Again her eyes met his, and AGAIN that same, knowing look appeared, and in spite of himself, Wild felt his ire rise; he had to fight to keep the tinges of his frustration from his voice.

“Of course, Your Highness.”

Luna’s smile broadened slightly, and she proceeded down the hallway. “Then by all means, let us not keep our food waiting,” she said cheerily over her shoulder. Wild watched Luna as she walk away from him, her mane bobbing merrily; instinctively he started after her, hoping that the anxiety he felt would melt away like morning dew now that the Princess seemed to have no interest in his problems… but to his surprise, that very thought seemed to burrow into his troubles and stir them up even more. He’d held his silence around Rainbow Dash, around Shooting Star and Morninglight, all ponies whom he should trust… all in the unconscious hope that the Princess he trusted more than anypony in the world would take pity on him and be able to find his hurts and mend them. But now… now she’s walking away..! The cool indifference that had laced her voice at the mention of dinner, completely contradicting the blatant knowing that had been in her eyes not moments before… it lanced into his heart like a shard of ice and began to expand, blasting the walls he’d placed there apart even as he tried to maintain them.

Suddenly, he halted in place, and all the frustration he’d felt, all the confusion that had invaded his mind and heart burst forth like water from a broken dam, and before he could even hope to stop himself he blurted, “So, that’s it?!”

Luna stopped and turned, her wings rustling once as she turned her eyes back to meet his. “Hmmm?” she said disarmingly, as if she had no idea what he was talking about… and that just fueled the flames in his mind.

“You… you aren’t even going to ask?!” he said, the words coming faster and faster as he spoke. “You know that I’m not okay, you KNOW that I’ve been having issues the last few days, the last few WEEKS, and now you have the chance to know, and you’re not going to ask?!” All thoughts of not having to tell at least one pony evaporated in the heat of his outburst; he shook his head, tossing his mane about wildly as Luna watched him. “You’re not going to sit there and look at me with those… those sun-forsaken all-knowing eyes of yours and peer into my soul and ask me, Oh, Wild Wings, why have you been so upset?” To his horror, he heard himself imitate her voice in a most unflattering way, but he was too far gone now to care. “You’re not going to listen to me spill my heart out about… about how much I…” He choked on the words as they tried to force themselves from his throat. The Pegasus raised his eyes to Luna, and she took a small step back towards him, her eyes completely innocent.

“I’m not sure what you mean, Wild Wings…” she said, her voice confused. “About how much you… what?”

He tried to contain it, tried to keep the words inside where they belonged, but the tide of his frustration carried them away before he could stop them. “…about how much I miss Thistledown and Honeysuckle… About how absolutely disgusting I feel about what I did to that poor mare… about how I let Honeysuckle down… about…” He felt his eyes burning, and turned away from Luna with a jerk. “About how much I miss them! That more than anything I just want to know… if I ever had a chance…” He sniffed and swiped angrily at his eyes with a hoof. “But you aren’t even going to ask me, are you… you’re just-,”

His eyes shot wide, and he straightened as the fire in his mind was suddenly quenched with a sudden rush of realization and embarrassment; behind him he could hear the gentle notes of Luna’s giggles rise and fall, and the flames once in his heart sprang to his cheeks. Hoooo boy, Wild… You stepped in THAT one with all four hooves… Wild swallowed with difficulty and slowly turned around, his cheeks burning as he faced his Princess.

Thankfully, Luna’s face showed no signs of her being offended; in fact, the only thing that he could see was mirth as she held a hoof to her mouth and giggled like a schoolfilly. Wild felt his blush deepen and he kicked at the stone beneath his hooves abashedly. Yup… all four hooves, he confirmed to himself. Finally, after several long moments, Luna’s giggles subsided, and she turned her eyes on him again, the innocence gone and replaced by that same calm knowing that had driven him to his outburst in the first place. “Wild Wings…” she said, her voice so soft and gentle that Wild felt the storm of his emotions calm as she walked back towards him. “…you, of all ponies, should know better than to bottle such emotions up,” she chided delicately.

The Pegasus sighed and turned his head, avoiding her gaze as embarrassment flooded his face again. “You’re… you’re right, Princess,” he answered.

“And of course I knew,” she continued. “But I also knew that to ask you directly would be to invite a story, and not the truth.” She stepped close to him, so close she could have touched him with her wing, and he could hear the smile in her voice. “After all, you are not the first stubborn pony that I have had to deal with, Wild Wings of Cloudsdale.”

Wild smiled slightly. “Oh is that so?” he asked quietly.

In response, the alicorn touched his shoulder with her hoof, and he turned to face her. “Oh yes,” she said, her smile becoming impish. “You were not around to grow up with Celestia; I assure you, she could win a staring contest with a rock if she put her mind to it.” That brought a chuckle to Wild Wings’ lips, because even not knowing the Sun Princess as well as Luna did, he could very easily see that situation arising with a younger, brasher Celestia. “I do wish that you had simply spoken to me about it before, Wild,” Luna continued gently. “That is one of the many blessings of having friends like Shooting Star, Morninglight or… myself.” The alicorn’s smile was small and sweet. “We are here to help you bear unbearable burdens… but we can only do so if you allow us to.”

Wild found himself looking into Luna’s sea-green eyes, and felt shame welling up in his heart. “I know, Your Highness… and…” He averted his eyes, but even before he could say anything else, Luna cut him off.

“No apologies, Wild Wings,” she said firmly. “I shall not have it.” He turned back to her with a frown, but the Moon Princess waved a hoof. “What’s done is done, and it was obviously the only way I was going to be able to speak to you on the matter; therefore, it was a necessary event, and shall not be looked upon with shame.”

“But… but I-,”

“Yes, I am well aware of what you said,” the Princess said with a nod. “And I am also aware that…” Her voice faltered, and she subtly scraped her crystal-clad hoof across the floor, her face falling into a mask of sudden self-doubt; an expression that Wild was not used to seeing on her face. “Well… I… don’t sound like that, do I?” she asked quietly.

Wild felt a stab of shame deep in his heart. “No, Luna… no, of course you don’t.” His wings drooped as he tried to speak. “I was angry… and I… say things sometimes when I’m angry that…” He sighed, and for the first time in his life he broke a direct order from his Princess. “I’m sorry, Your Highness.” Without hesitation he stepped before her and dropped to both of his front knees, bowing his head to the floor and spreading his wings out flat. “Please, Your Highness, forgive me- I had no call to talk to you like that.” He closed his eyes, unable to look at her as yet another wave of shame hit him. She was only trying to help… and I talked to her like she was nopony.

Silence reigned for a moment before he heard the light, tell-tale music of the Princess’s laughter. He opened his eyes and looked up at her to find her smiling benevolently down at him. “Wild Wings… of course I forgive you. But I hope that in the future you will be able to restrain your harsh words; not everypony will be as quick to forgive as I am.”

Wild bowed his head low again as the warmth of relief, warmth that he knew he did not deserve to feel, spread quickly through his body sending the chills of shame away. “Thank you, Your Highness… I swear to you that I will.”

“A vow not taken lightly, Wild Wings,” she said, and he felt a brush of feathers against his cheek. “Rise, my friend, and let us move past this.” The gray Pegasus rose to his hooves, and Luna smiled at him again. “Now that you have figured out for yourself what is wrong… what will you do about it?”

Wild watched her for a moment before sighing deeply. “That’s just it, Your Highness… I don’t know WHAT to do. What I said was the truth; I feel horrible for what happened with Thistledown, and I wish there was some way to make it up to her… but how can I? I can’t change the past, what was happening right then…” He shrugged his wings. “I’m… just at a loss, Princess.”

“You mentioned wanting to know if you ever had a chance, yes?” Wild nodded. “Hmm. Well, it seems to me that the only pony who could give you the satisfaction of an answer would be Thistledown herself.”

Wild’s eyes widened. “You mean… go talk to her?” he asked incredulously.

“No, I mean find a way to communicate psychically and pluck the information from her brain.” Luna giggled. “Of COURSE I mean go and talk to her. How else would you find out what she feels?”

She IS right, you know, a voice told him inside. But as right as she was, something was stopping him. “Princess… I just don’t know if I can do that,” he said finally, turning his eyes back to the floor. “When we were helping to rebuild Whinnyapolis… I tried to talk to her. I tried to find her, to explain what I felt, to ask if she… if she could give me a chance… but she avoided me like the plague.” He shook his head sadly, and felt the sting of those weeks return to him. “Even when I tried to find just Honeysuckle, to try and talk to her, Thistle was there, keeping me away from her. She… I’m afraid that she’s made her mind up, Your Highness… and I just don’t know what to do now.” His ears and wings drooped as he remembered the one occasion when Thistledown had met his gaze in those weeks; the blankness he’d seen there had been more scarring than any anger or betrayal could have been. She was a guarded mare, and she had once again raised the wall between herself and everypony else… and that made Wild hate himself.

Luna was silent as she watched him; it was a long while before she spoke, but when she did her voice was soft and firm. “Wild Wings… I cannot force your hoof, nor tell you what is right for you to do… but I can tell you, not as a Princess whom you serve, but as… as a mare who has loved… If you had done something like that to me, I would want a chance to reconcile my feelings for you- be it to rekindle them, or bury them forever.” She turned back towards the stars out the windows, and she sighed. “But, that is your decision. I can only advise you, Wild Wings; I cannot make this decision for you.” She turned back to him with another small smile, and Wild returned it.

“Thank you, Princess… I will think about it.”

“And that is all I can ask of you.” She rustled her wings, and her smile became impish again. “Now, if you are quite done with your personal problems? My royal stomach has been grumbling at me for several minutes, and it is most unpleasant,” she declared with more than a hint of jest.

Wild Wings laughed, bent his knee and gestured past him with a hoof. “By all means, Your Highness- I would be honored to accompany you.”

Luna gave him a fond smile and preceded him down the hall, and for the first time that night, Wild felt at ease… but he couldn’t help but wonder how long such a feeling could last if he didn’t take his Princess’s advice.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

The rest of the night moved quickly, and before he knew it he was standing on the balcony in Luna’s personal chambers again, watching his Princess descend from the brightening sky as a new day dawned in the east. He stepped back and allowed her to land gracefully.

“Another night is done,” she said with a smile. “And if I may say, it has been a most enlightening night for the both of us.”

Wild nodded and felt a small amount of heat blossom in his cheeks yet again. “I would have to agree, Your Highness,” he said.

Princess Luna nodded and raised a hoof towards him. “You are dismissed from your duties for the day, Wild Wings,” she said ceremonially. “The Sun shall watch the land until night falls again and your heart is needed.”

Wild lowered his snout and kissed the crystal-clad hoof before responding, “And when darkness returns, I shall stand ready.” He straightened and gave Luna a small smile. “And Princess… thank you,” he said simply. “I’ll keep your advice close to my heart, and… I’ll let you know when I make a decision.”

“Please do,” the Princess said. “And if you need a few days relieved from your duties, well, I’m certain that your comrades would be most accommodating.”

Wild’s red eyes widened. “Days off? But Princess-,”

Luna cut him off with a raised hoof and a smile. “Just know that the option is there, Wild Wings,” she said. “I am not suspending you from duty or any such thing; just know that if you need it, the time is there.”

The Pegasus opened and closed his mouth for a moment before nodding. “Th-thank you, Your Highness,” he said, giving her a small bow again.

“Now, off with you!” Luna said with a giggle. “I saw Shooting Star returning to the castle below, no doubt reporting to my sister about the readiness of her troops, and I expect that Morninglight shall return promptly, as well.” Her eyes met his again, and the message she was sending to him was as obvious as if she had simply said it aloud: They are your friends and they care about you; talk to them.

He sighed lightly and nodded. “I hope the night went well for the two of them,” he said nonchalantly, but he gave Luna a smile. I’ll try my best, Your Highness. With another small bow, Wild turned and left the room, intent on returning his armor to its rightful place in the armory before he left the castle.

~*~*~*~*~

“So.” Shooting Star’s voice was carefully neutral. “How was your night?”

Wild Wings set his armor on one of the shelves in the small room set aside for the Generals and their equipment, shaking his mane out with a sigh before answering. “It was fine,” he said simply. “What about yours?” he asked, hoping to divert his friend’s attention. “How did the Pegasi on night guard duty shape up against your rigorous inspection, O Glorious One?”

The blue Pegasus sighed, causing Wild to grin. He really hated that name. “They were about as prepared as I’d expected,” Shooter responded. “Which is to say not at all; I found one of them asleep in a corner when I showed up, and the rest of them seemed content to ignore my questions.” He shrugged, his massive wings bobbing slightly. “I had very little choice but to report my findings to Princess Celestia, and she seemed most unhappy with them. I’d hate to be in their armor right about now.”

“Yeah… as nice as Celestia can be, I somehow get the feeling that she won’t take that kind of thing lightly.” Wild nodded and turned towards the hallway, but behind him Shooting Star cleared his throat.

“Wild,” he said, and his tone of voice was enough to stop the gray pony in his tracks. Shooting Star walked up next to him, his eyes straight ahead as he spoke. “Listen… I can tell that something’s been bothering you, and I… think I have a pretty good idea what that is.”

Wild felt irritation well up inside him. “Well… aren’t you just-,”

But this time, Shooter turned to face him and cut him off abruptly. “When are we going to drop this, Wild Wings?” he asked, his voice as sharp as any of the blades in the armory. “When are you going to stop hiding from me? From Morning? From yourself?” He rustled his wings in irritation, but when he spoke again his voice was calmer, and his eyes were almost sad. “Look… I can understand if you don’t want to talk to me about it, but for Luna’s sake, both figuratively and literally, take care of it, okay? We all rely on you to be your best, and lately, you haven’t been. You’ve been distracted, out-of-sorts, with your eyes and ears turned inward for some reason; and to be quite frank, I’m worried about you, Wild.” Shooter sighed, and his ears drooped. “I really, really wish you’d let me in… let me help you…”

Wild Wings sighed. “Listen, Shooter…” But Shooting Star wasn’t about to be stopped.

“You’re my best friend, Wild,” the blue Pegasus said. “And it kills me inside knowing that whatever’s going on, whatever… personal battle you’re waging in that head of yours, you still, after everything we learned… three months ago… you still won’t let us in. Let ME in.” He sighed again, and Wild Wings was surprised by the amount of hurt he saw in his friend’s eyes. “As Luna as my witness, Wild… I just want to help… but until you let me, I can’t.”

The smaller Pegasus looked into Shooting Star’s eyes and suddenly felt completely wretched again; almost as bad as he had felt after his outburst with Princess Luna. Shooter just wanted to help… and Wild was treating him like he didn’t matter. “Shooting Star, I…”

But his friend simply shook his head and turned away, his shoulders slumped slightly in defeat. “Just… take care of yourself, all right. I know you’ll figure it out.” And with that, Shooter started to walk away.

Wild watched him go; in fact, Shooter made it almost four whole pony-lengths away before Princess Luna’s unspoken words came crashing back into his mind: They are your friends, and they care about you; talk to them.

“It’s about Thistledown,” Wild Wings blurted. Shooter’s blue form stopped and slowly turned back, his blue eyes carefully hopeful.

“Thistledown?” he asked cautiously, and Wild couldn’t blame him; in fact, had the circumstances been any different, Wild probably WOULD have been trying to mess with him. “I thought you’d buried that hatchet in Whinnyapolis.”

Wild shook his head. “No, I didn’t; not by a long shot.”

Shooting Star made his way back to where he stood, his eyes searching Wild for any sign that he might be lying, might be just telling a tale, spinning a yarn, flapping in the breeze; but Wild knew that for once, his face was nothing but open and honest… because finally, he was being just that.

“That’s what’s been bugging you?” Shooter asked quietly.

“Yeah… it has.”

“But…why?” Shooter shook his head. “I mean, I knew that her daughter had poked holes in the armor around your heart… but I honestly had no idea…”

Wild sighed. “Well, I don’t think you were the only one who had no idea,” he said quietly.

Now Shooting Star’s eyes went wide. “You mean… you never TOLD her?!” His voice rose quickly at the end, and several other guard Pegasi turned their eyes on the two Generals; Wild hissed at him sharply and gave such a dark glance at the onlookers that they turned away quickly and left the room soon after. Shooting Star looked abashed, but his voice lost none of its disbelief. “You never told her how you felt?” he asked again, and Wild shook his head. Shooting Star’s right hoof impacted his forehead with a gentle thok. “Wild… I thought you DID! When we were in Whinnyapolis!”

“How could I?” Wild asked, his ears drooping in an uncharacteristic display of vulnerability. “She… she didn’t want anything to do with me. I figured that after a while, my feelings would go away… but they haven’t.” He started to pace in the confined space, his hooves clopping loudly on the cool gray stone of the floor. “In fact, this is doing nothing but getting worse. I can’t seem to stop thinking about her and Honeysuckle… about how, more than anything… I wish I’d told her how I felt.”

Shooter frowned. “Well… then what’s stopping you from just flying there and telling her yourself?”

Wild sighed. “That’s what Luna said… but by the Moon, Shooter, how can I just waltz back into her life like that? Just, show up at her doorstep in Whinnyapolis, big grin on my face and say,” He turned to Shooting Star and put on his cockiest, most roguish grin and said, “‘Hey, by the way, I know we got off on kind of a rocky start and that you’ve probably moved on but I just thought you should know that I dig you’. Yeah… it’ll be FANTASTIC.” He sighed. “She’s probably moved on, Shooter. It was a horrible experience, and she’s most likely moved on and healed those wounds.” The Pegasus winced. “And… me showing up like that would be like driving a knife into a freshly-healed scar.”

“Then why are you even thinking about doing this?” There it was, that calm, infuriating voice again; but this time, Wild managed to take a deep breath before answering… with the truth, this time.

“Because Shooter… I… I DO care about her… even now. And I just want to know… if I ever had a chance. If I didn’t, I’d leave her alone forever, but…” He closed his eyes and turned his head. “But by the Moon, Shooter, if I did… If I even stood one little, miniscule chance…”

There was a moment of silence as Wild felt the feelings in his heart surge to the surface, feelings that he’d hidden from his friend for far too long. The confusion, the frustration and uncertainty, all of it bubbled forth and seemed to radiate from his coat as he waited for Shooting Star to tell him off for being such a selfish jerk.

But such admonishments never came.

Instead, he heard his friend sigh. “So you want to know if you ever had a chance with her, but you don’t want to talk to her directly because you don’t want to hurt her unnecessarily,” he said quietly. “Is that what I’m hearing?”

Wild brought his eyes back to Shooter. “Well… yeah,” he said, slightly irritated. “SURE, it sounds simple when you say it like THAT…”

To his surprise, Shooting Star laughed lightly. “Well, it IS fairly simple, Wild,” he said. “I mean… the only thing you have to do is find another pony who knows her well enough to tell you if she did or not. Or, barring that, at least somepony who was close to her at the time when all of this came to pass.”

“…what?” Wild Wings stared at his friend, and for the first time in weeks felt a surge of something other than guilt in his chest; something warm and amazing that washed over him from hoof to nose and made him smile. “You mean… we can talk to somepony else? Yeah! That’s a great idea!!” He began to pace excitedly. “So, all we have to do is think of somepony who was in close contact with her during our stay there, and talk to THEM, and then we’ll have our answer! By Luna, Shooter, when did you become a genius!”

Shooting Star frowned slightly. “Hey…”

“But who was around her then?” Wild pressed on, plowing over Shooter’s feeble protests in his new rush of excitement. “I mean, I could always talk to Honeysuckle, but that might do more harm than good, especially if the answer from Thistle is no… but who else was around her then, except…” Suddenly, the excitement that Wild had felt mere moments before came flopping down around him like the rapidly deflating sides of a poorly-constructed tent. His ears drooped, and his eyes widened as he froze in place, his tail falling to rest firmly between his legs. “Oh by the light of the Moon,” he whispered. “There’s only one pony who was around her then…”

“Who?” Shooter persisted.

Wild swallowed audibly. “A-Applejack,” he said.

The blue Pegasus sighed. “Wild, you know that Applejack forgave us both, and said that we were welcome to visit Sweet Apple Acres whenever we liked. She’s a good sort, and she’ll certainly tell you what you want to know. That’s the best idea you’ve had all day!”

Wild Wings shook his head. “No, no it’s not… and it’s not Applejack I’m worried about running into on that farm…”

“Then who… Ooooooooh…” Shooting Star winced. “Oh yeah… I guess I forgot about that.”

“Easy for you to say,” Wild said, his voice cracking slightly. “You didn’t get kicked through a barn…”

“Well, I mean… what other choice do you have?” Shooter asked.

He was right, of course; after three months of worrying, thinking, worrying, fretting, thinking and then worrying some more, finally a solution had presented itself to Wild, a way to find out once and for all if he was simply chasing a fleeting hope of what might have been or if he legitimately had a chance at something with the purple mare named Thistledown… but even so, the prospect made his knees quiver slightly. “I don’t have any other choice,” he said. He swallowed again, and forced his head erect, even if his ears refused to leave the sides of his head. “I have to go back there, Shooter… I have to go talk to Applejack.”

Shooting Star nodded and gave him an encouraging smile. “I think that’s a fantastic idea, Wild. Why don’t we go now? I want to get back to Ponyville to be with Pinkie anyway; I’ll fly with you.” Wild nodded, and slowly the two Pegasi made their way out of the armory. “And who knows?” Shooter added as they stepped out into the hall, “Maybe Big Macintosh won’t be around..?”

Wild’s tail did its best to lodge itself firmly between his back legs. “Shut up,” he mumbled, and to his chagrin, Shooter laughed lightly at his discomfort.

“Awkward being on the other end of it, isn’t it?”

“Yeah…payback’s are not fun, you know.”

“No, they really, really aren’t, are they, Wild.”

“…shut up.”

Chapter 3

The flight to Ponyville wasn’t a long one, nor was it a particularly difficult one, but today as he approached the town Wild Wings felt as though he had flown a thousand miles non-stop. His chest hurt, like he was being squeezed by invisible ropes, and the closer he and Shooting Star got to the small village the more he was convinced that his wings were made of lead.

“I’m… really not sure about this, Shooter…” he said, swallowing audibly.

Beside him, the blue Pegasus sighed loudly as he tilted his wings to the side, sending him banking gently towards the ground, his wings flaring in the morning sunlight. “So I’ve gathered from the dozen or so times you’ve said that in the past hour,” he said, his voice light. “Just relax, Wild,” he said with a smile. “Remember the reason you’re here, and try not to let your nerves get the best of you.”

Wild’s eyes narrowed slightly, and he felt his chest puff out in spite of the pain in it. “My nerves are just fine,” he huffed; Shooter shook his head slightly and rolled his eyes, his smile staying in place.

“All right… if you say so,” he said.

“I DO say so,” Wild muttered. Nopony insinuates that I’ve lost my nerve… But as Ponyville rose to meet them, Wild felt all the certainty that he’d felt earlier that morning begin to leave him, and not for the first time he was glad of Shooting Star’s company and his encouragement.

The two Pegasi slid down from the sky towards a park in the town, one with a lovely white fountain at the heart and a smattering of trees around it; next to the fountain, Wild’s red eyes picked out a pink dot that seemed to be jumping up and down, and as they got closer he couldn’t help but smile slightly at the sight. There, leaping for all she was worth as if she longed for nothing more than to join them in the sky was Pinkie Pie, one of the bearers of the Elements of Harmony, and the pony that Shooting Star had been more time with lately than any other. Her eyes were bright, despite the early time of morning, and her tail swished in anticipation as Shooter and Wild landed carefully nearby. Pinkie barely waited for Shooter to stop walking before darting forward and wrapping her front hooves around him in a hug.

“Shootie!” she said happily, nuzzling his cheek with hers. “I’m SOOO glad you decided to visit me today! Oh, I’ve missed you a LOT! I’ve got SO MUCH to tell you about what I’ve been doing since you came to see me last! It feels like it was forever ago!!”

Shooting Star cast a glance at Wild, and Wild couldn’t help but give him a knowing grin, which caused his friend to blush brightly beneath his dark blue coat. “Pinkie… it’s only been two days since I saw you,” he said quietly, obviously slightly embarrassed by the display. The pink mare dropped to all four hooves and backed up just far enough to look into his eyes, and Wild was surprised to see Pinkie Pie blush slightly too.

“Well, yeah, but…” she giggled softly. “It was a long two days.”

Wild Wings glanced from pony to pony, and suddenly couldn’t keep the grin from his face. There had been many times in his life where other ponies had accused Wild Wings of being able to miss the subtleties of feelings, but this was not one of those moments; the look that Pinkie and Shooter were sharing at that moment spoke volumes so loud that Wild shuffled his wings and took a step backwards from them. “Shooter? I’ll catch up with you later, OK?” he said.

The blue pony didn’t even look away from Pinkie Pie as he nodded, his blush deepening. “Uh-huh…” he said.

Pinkie giggled and bumped her nose against Shooter’s. “Where’s he going, Shootie?” she asked softly as Wild turned away.

“He… is here to see a friend,” Shooting Star said with a smile. He and Pinkie Pie touched noses again and began to walk away, close enough together that Shooter put his wing slightly over Pinkie’s back. “And hopefully, he’s here to see his way through his heart.”

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

“Whew… that should be the last of ‘em,” Applejack said to herself, wiping a hoof across her brow. She took a step back and admired her work; a brand new rack covered the far wall of the barn from ceiling to floor, each shelf spaced perfectly to hold stacks and stacks of the large bushel baskets they used to harvest the apples. The Apple family had kept their baskets in a small building adjacent to the barn for quite some time, but a new need had arisen for the shed, and Applejack had taken it upon herself to build something to solve the issue of where to put the baskets. “Now, if’n I cain just get Fluttershy or Rainbow t’ help me lift these into place…” She tipped her hat back on her head and began eyeballing the top shelf, wondering if they would really need two Pegasi to lift a stack into place, or if one could do it. Well, Rainbow might be able to do it by herself; Fluttershy probably cain’t lift more’n one basket by her lonesome…

She was just to the point of wondering exactly what Fluttershy could lift on her own when she heard a set of hooves enter the barn; much lighter than her brother’s, and much louder and slower than her sister’s. The orange earth pony turned towards the sound, and when she saw the pony making it her brow knit and she couldn’t help but frown slightly.

Standing just inside the small side door of the barn was a gray Pegasus with a jet-black mane and bright red eyes; a Pegasus that she hadn’t seen in three months, and one that still sent an involuntary shiver down her spine whenever she saw him. Applejack turned her whole body towards him and managed to find a small smile. “Well… as I live ‘n’ breathe,” she said quietly. “Howdy, Wild Wings.”

The Pegasus rustled his wings and looked slightly uncomfortable beneath her emerald gaze. “Applejack,” he said politely, giving her a deep nod that bordered on a bow.

The earth pony doffed her hat and shook her mane slightly; the interior of the barn was still warm, despite the cool fall morning outside, and her hat was warming her something fierce. “I hafta say that I’m a mite surprised t’ see you ‘round these parts, Wild. No offense intended, o’ course; it’s just that y’all seemed mighty determined t’ stay well away from Ponyville after what happened.”

Wild Wings winced visibly, and Applejack sighed as she placed her cowboy hat back atop her head. She truly wasn’t out to make him feel bad about what had happened… but, well, it was the truth, and she didn’t much have a way with words like Rarity seemed to. I’m sure she would’ve told me t’ say somethin’ polite ‘bout him first, or some such. But the events that had brought him to her acquaintance were all she had to reference him by, which made talking to him about anything BUT those events slightly difficult.

“Yeah… I know,” he said quietly. “I really didn’t want…” He trailed off, as if he was second-guessing what he was about to say, and Applejack frowned. What in tarnation is mussin’ his feathers? But Wild Wings sighed sharply and gave her a smile that was obviously forced. “But how’ve you been, Applejack? It’s been three months now… how’re things?”

“I’m fine, an’ everything ‘round here’s fine, thank’ee fer askin’.” She turned away from him and began re-examining the shelves, making sure that each one was securely in place, even though she had already double checked them. “Don’t take this the wrong way, Wild Wings… but if’n I had ta guess, I’d say that y’all didn’t come all th’ way back t’ Ponyville ta check up on me.” She turned and arched an eyebrow at him severely. “Unless there’s somethin’ y’all ain’t tellin’ me, an’ I’ve gotta start checkin’ outside my windows at night fer wanderin’ Pegasi with red eyes.”

Wild blinked, and after a moment the corners of his mouth turned up and he managed a chuckle. Applejack found a grin as well, and to her surprise it stayed in place as the Pegasus shook his head.

“No, AJ, I’m sorry,” he said. “I mean, you’re very nice, but that’s not why I’m here.”

“Then what’s got a bee in yer bonnet, sugar?” she asked, nudging one of the shelves with her nose.

She heard him shuffle his hooves several times then heard his wings open, close, rustle, readjust, then open and close again, and she sighed; that was exactly the same thing that Rainbow Dash did when she was trying to think her way out of a corner.

“Well… I-I mean, I really was curious as to how you’ve been, Applejack,” he began, but as soon as he began speaking Applejack knew that he was just talking to fill the silence. “And how things’ve been here… and how the others in Ponyville are doing, of course, I mean, I haven’t just been thinking about you, obviously, we covered that already… yeah, that would have been awkward. B-but not awkward in the bad, way, of course; o-or is there really a good kind of awkward..?”

Applejack sighed and turned back to the Pegasus. “Fer Celestia’s sake, Wild Wings, spit it out, b‘fore ya choke on it!”

Wild stopped mid-word and stared at her for a half a second before his wings and ears drooped. “It’s… it’s about Thistledown,” he said with a heavy sigh.

At the mention of the earth pony mare’s name, Applejack’s ears perked straight up, and she had to quickly rein herself in to keep the excitement from her eyes. “Thistle?” she repeated casually. “Y’all’re showin’ up here ‘cause o’ her?”

The gray pony looked like he wanted nothing more than to shrink and creep away, but to his credit he stood his ground. “Yes, really, Applejack.”

It was everything that Applejack could do to keep her face impassive. She would never, ever have told Wild Wings this, but ever since the events three months prior, she had been wondering when he would finally get the courage to ask her about the amethyst mare with whom AJ had shared her home for a brief time. A giddy feeling bubbled up in her stomach and the apple farmer found it extremely difficult to keep a silly grin from dominating her face.

“An’, uh,” she began nonchalantly, gazing back to the racks on the wall, “What is it that y’all wanna know? Way I seen it, Thistledown made it purdy clear how she felt ‘bout y’all in Whinnyapolis.”

“She did, yeah… and for a long time now, I’ve thought that made a difference,” Wild said, his eyes wandering the walls as if he wanted to look anywhere but at AJ. “But I can’t stop thinking about her, Applejack. About what could have been… and it’s starting to drive me crazy.”

The orange mare turned back to him and arched an eyebrow, proud that she wasn’t simply leaping into the air and spilling what she knew. “Then why ain’t y’all talkin’ t’ Thistle direct-like? Seems t’ me that’d solve all yer problems right there.”

Wild made a frustrated sound in his throat. “That’s the problem itself!! I can’t just go to her, Applejack, not after what happened!” He turned and began to pace back and forth, his wings rustling irritably as he continued. “I know how much I hurt her, AJ, and after all that, how can I possibly justify walking back into her life and telling her how much I care about her? About how I can’t stop thinking about her, about Honey, about what we could have had?! About how more than anything in the entire world I just want to know if-…”

Applejack stepped forward, her green eyes wide, begging him to continue. “Y’all just wanna know if…?” Yer so close, Wild… SO CLOSE..!!

Wild Wings stopped mid step, and his wings drooped almost to the floor. “It sounds so stupid, Applejack, but… I just want to know if I had a chance. If we could still… could ever have been together… and I thought that since you got to know her best while she was here… you might be able to answer that for me… so…” He took a deep breath. “Applejack… h-how did Thistledown feel about me?”

Applejack felt a smile explode across her face, and in the blink of an eye she was standing nose-to-nose with Wild Wings, dancing excitedly in place. “Wild Wings,” she said, her voice bubbling, “Ah cain’t even TELL y’all how long I’ve been waitin’ fer ya t’ get yer courage t’gether an’ ask about that mare!” The orange earth pony leaped into the air, feeling every inch like Pinkie Pie at that moment; finally, FINALLY she would be able to tell him!

Wild Wings, for his part, looked extremely confused. “Um… wha?” he said.

Applejack giggled like a schoolfilly and cantered around the gray Pegasus. “Y’all really are as dense as they say, Wild Wings,” she said jovially. “I promised Thistledown that what she said ‘bout y’all would never reach yer ears… but when I promised, I made a lil’ subtext, as Twilight would say.” She gave him a grin and a wink. “I promised Thistle that y’all would never hear what I’m gonna tell ya unless y’all came t’ me an’ asked ‘bout it direct-like!”

“So… so you’re saying that there is something to tell?” he asked hopefully.

The orange mare slugged him in the shoulder hard with her hoof, but her smile never faltered. “Of course there is, ya empty-headed Pegasus, and y’all knew that or else ya wouldn’ta felt so driven t’ ask!”

“Ow…”

“NOW,” Applejack said, leaping up onto one of the nearby hay bale and reclining comfortably. “Have yerself a seat, Wild. This story may not take long, but it’s one worth hearin’.”

~*~*~*~*~

The weather was clear and pleasant, but Applejack barely noticed. The sun was now fully over the horizon, and the morning was beginning to warm up towards another gorgeous summer day… but the orange earth pony’s eyes were turned inward towards the feelings of anger that were slowly eating away at her heart like a worm in an apple. It had been all of four days since she had started feeling this way, and already she was sick and tired of it. She gritted her teeth around the handle of a pan as she tried vainly to flip one of the pancakes she was cooking, but she flipped too firmly and the pancake sailed over her head and landed on the floor… next to the three others that had shared its fate.

“ConSARNIT,” she huffed angrily, slamming the pan back down onto the stove. This breakfast was taking her MUCH longer than she had thought; she’d just wanted to get the pancakes ready before anypony else got up, specifically so she could eat and leave the house before she had to deal with them. In her current state of mind, she thought it might be a good idea to spend some time alone. She turned from the stove and glared at the pancake-covered floor. “If y’all ain’t gonna go in my stomach, the least y’all could do is git yerselves into the garbage pail,” she snapped.

From the bottom of the stairs came a gentle laugh and Applejack winced. Slowly she turned her eyes to the mare who stood there, another earth pony with an amethyst coat and deep green mane and tail.

The mare smiled slightly. “I really don’t think the pancakes are going to listen to you, Applejack,” she said with a soft giggle. “They’re not known for their ability to comprehend orders.”

Applejack sniffed indignantly. “Well they sure ain’t known fer fillin’ my belly on the floor,” she huffed. She felt another, more biting comment build up in her throat- something about how guests shouldn’t question their hosts or some such nonsense- but the look on the other mare’s face was enough to stop her, and after a moment she found her voice. “…Thistledown..?” she asked. “Are… are ya okay this mornin’?”

The purple mare gave her a broad smile and made her way past Applejack into the kitchen, and to the farmer it looked as though Thistledown wasn’t really walking so much as floating just slightly off the floor. “Of course I am!” Thistle replied, her voice warm. “Am I acting like I’m not?” She turned and arched an eyebrow at Applejack, but try as she might the other mare couldn’t hide the smile that still hung on her lips.

“Um… no, y’all ain’t actin’ like somethin’s WRONG… but ya sure are actin’… well, differ’nt.”

Thistledown’s eyes suddenly sparkled in the morning sun, but she turned back to the stove and began making a new batch of pancakes, humming happily to herself.

The mare’s sudden change in mood quirked Applejack’s curiosity, enough that even though Thistle’s behavior was quickly becoming irritating to the inexplicably angry Applejack, the farm pony was able to shove her irritation to the back as she stepped up next to her house guest.

“Now that is a secret-keepin’ face if’n I ever saw one,” Applejack said, doing her best to keep her voice light. “C’mon now, out with it…” She managed to force a smile onto her face. “It wouldn’t happen t’ have anythin’ to do with y’all leavin’ the house late last night, would it..?”

Now Thistledown’s eyes lit up, and her purple cheeks deepened in color as she blushed. “…Maybe it does,” she said softly, but even in her altered mental state Applejack could hear the giddiness hidden beneath Thistle’s carefully neutral tone.

“Well, out with it then!” Applejack demanded, a bit more harshly than she had intended, but Thistledown didn’t seem to notice one bit. She pushed the pan away and turned her green eyes on Applejack, excitement exploding into them.

“Oh Applejack… last night, I went to check on Honeysuckle, and I found her out of bed- she does that sometimes if she can’t sleep. She likes to go out and sit beneath the stars, in a garden if she can; she says it helps her talk to her father.” Her smile wavered just slightly, but then the excitement returned and swept the sadness that had always tainted her smiles away, and she grinned broadly again. “But I went out and found her sitting in the garden… with a stallion.”

Applejack’s eyes narrowed dangerously. “A stallion..?” she asked, and the implication was clear in her question.

“I was worried at first too,” Thistledown continued, “But I crept quietly up and listened to what they were talking about… and the stallion was talking to Honey. He asked her why she was out, and she told him… and oh Applejack… she confided in him. She told him everything that she was feeling, and he listened to her…” Tears suddenly welled up in Thistle’s green eyes, but she continued undaunted, her smile never wavering for a moment. “That moment… seeing the two of them sitting together under the moonlight… Honeysuckle has never spoken to another stallion, another pony about her father before, Applejack. Never once before… and when he noticed me, the look in his eyes…” She sighed, and the happiness on her face was strong enough to make the anger in Applejack’s heart calm slightly. “He really cares about her… and…” She blushed deeply again. “…And something about him makes my heart flutter, Applejack… I asked him to help Honey and I make dinner tonight, and I… I just can’t wait!” Thistledown giggled softly. “Oh… I hope I don’t make a foal of myself! I’m so nervous…”

Somehow, Applejack managed a real, genuine smile for the excited mare. “You’ll be jus’ fine, Thistle,” she said softly. “Jus’ be yerself, an’ I’m sure…” She frowned slightly. “Say, what’s this feller’s name, anyhow?”

The amethyst mare smiled and turned back to the stove. “He’s a Pegasus… honestly, I never really thought I’d be interested in a Pegasus… but his name is Red Wing, one of the other refugees from Whinnyapolis. He’s the one who’s been helping you around the farm-,”

In retrospect, it was a good thing that Thistle had turned back to the stove when she had, because the emotions that crossed Applejack’s face at the mention of the gray Pegasus were anything but kind, and the sudden humming in the orange pony’s ears that drown out Thistledown’s words was anything but friendly.

“Th-that’s awful nice, Thistledown,” Applejack said suddenly, unable to even hear her own words as she backed towards the door of the kitchen. Thistle turned and gave her a confused look, but when she tried to ask what was wrong, her mouth moved, but Applejack couldn’t hear the words. “I’ll be around…” the farmer said before turning and making her way out of the house.

~*~*~*~*~

Wild Wings stared at Applejack, his mouth slightly open as she finished. The orange pony grinned at him as his mouth flapped open and closed a few times like a fish out of water.

“Well?” Applejack coaxed. “Is that the story y’all wanted t’ hear?”

The Pegasus nodded numbly, but managed to find words after a moment. “And… did you have a chance to talk to her after everything?” he said quietly.

“I did,” Applejack said with a nod. “An’ let me tell you, that was one unhappy mare that y’all left in Whinnyapolis.” The blonde pony shifted on her hay bale and jumped back to the floor, stretching her legs as the sun poured through the windows. “She fell fer you hard, Wild, an’ findin’ out y’all were workin’ with Dark Star crushed her… but when we left, I could see it in her eyes.” She turned to Wild and gave him an encouraging smile. “Y’all need t’ go talk to her, Wild Wings. She never got… ah, what’d Rarity call it… closure. Thistle’s feelin’s are still floatin’ around, with no start, no finish an’ no answers. She needs t’ hear what y’all’ve got t’ say an’ figure out what t’ do from there.”

Wild watched her for a moment before his jaw set firmly, a fire lit in his eyes and he gave Applejack a firm nod.

“Y’know what… you’re absolutely right, Applejack,” he said. “Now that I know there were feelings there… I need to know, and she needs to know.”

“Now yer gettin’ the idea!”

“I’m not going to waste any time; I’m going to go to Whinnyapolis right now!”

“I cain’t see what harm could come of it!”

The gray Pegasus nodded and headed towards the door, his eyes still trained on Applejack. “AJ, I can’t thank you enough,” he said over his shoulder. “I’m going to tell her how I feel, and I’ll let y-MMF!”

Wild’s words were cut off as his face impacted a solid object that was suddenly blocking the door. Applejack’s eyes widened as the Pegasus turned his eyes up… and up… and up until he met the narrow green eyes of the one and only stallion to live on Sweet Apple Acres: Big Macintosh.

Wild Wings looked like he might burst into flames on the spot; his tail drooped down between his legs, his wings slumped and his ears flattened against his head as he took a hasty step back

“O-oh, um…h-h-hi there…” he said, his voice quavering like a cube of gelatin. He swallowed loudly enough that Applejack could hear it from across the barn, and as slowly and smoothly as he could he began to work his way around the huge red stallion in his way. “I-I was just talking to Applejack… a-about Thistledown, not about her, a-and just as friends… y’know… cuz we’re… friends…”

“Hmmm,” Big Mac said, his eyes impassive as he watched Wild.

The cool response seemed to make Wild Wings shrink and shake even more, if that was possible. “W-well, i-i-it was wonderful to s-s-see you, AJ… um…” his hoof slid slowly out the door and into the mid-morning sunshine. “…bye!” He hurled himself through, his wings snapped out and he was airborne in a flash, his furiously pumping wings not quite hiding his muttered “Gogogogogogogogogo!!” as he shot off into the morning air.

Applejack watched his retreating form, then turned back to her brother, her lips pursed. “Big Macintosh… now what’d y’all hafta go an’ do that fer?” The red stallion turned his green eyes on her, and the blonde mare sighed before putting a hoof to her face. “Y’all’re enjoyin’ that a little too much, big brother,” she said, unable to keep from shaking her head and smiling slightly.

Big Macintosh grinned broadly. “Eeeeyup.”

Chapter 4

“…and that is how you find the square root of a number, everypony!” The chocolate brown unicorn mare levitated her chalk back to the tray at the base of the blackboard before turning to her class, but as she opened her mouth to speak again the bell in the schoolhouse rang loudly in the hallways, eliciting a small cheer from her students. The unicorn smiled and cast her magenta eyes around the classroom, adjusting her glasses. “All right, fillies and colts, remember your homework, now!”

“Yes Miss Heart!” a chorus of voices answered her amid the shuffling of hooves and chairs as the twenty-odd young ponies made their mad dash towards freedom, among them a small orange filly, her saddlebags bouncing along with her gently waving pink and white mane. The ponies made their way out into the schoolyard, and as the orange filly skipped out the door into the bright autumn sunshine her bright green eyes spied a group of three other fillies at the fence, waving their hooves to her.

“Honeysuckle! Over here!” a small purple filly exclaimed, bouncing in place as Honey approached them. The other two fillies, one pink and one cream, both smiled broadly at her.

“Honeysuckle, what are you doing for our homework?” the cream filly asked, tossing her burgundy mane slightly. “I mean, seriously, we all know what we all did this summer; we all had to leave Whinnyapolis and go live somewhere else for, like, ever.”

Honeysuckle smiled and opened her mouth, but before she could speak the pink filly giggled and elbowed the cream one in the ribs. “That’s a silly question, Shortcake! She’s obviously going to do her report on how she got her cutie mark!”

Again, Honeysuckle opened her mouth to speak, but this time the purple filly spoke up again, her silver mane flopping down into her eyes as she leaped forward. “Oh YEAH! That would be an awesome report! An awesome report for an awesome cutie mark!”

The pink filly giggled loudly and nodded eagerly. “Totally awesome, Dreamcatcher! But she should probably practice by telling somepony, don’t you think?”

Dreamcatcher nodded seriously. “Deeefinitely, Taffy. After all, it would be really terrible if such an awesome story was ruined because she’d never told anypony before!”

Shortcake opened her mouth to continue, but she was cut off by Honeysuckle’s loud giggles. All three fillies turned to her, their eyes wide in expectation, but the orange filly just waved a hoof at them.

“I’m sorry, Dreamcatcher,” Honeysuckle said, giving each of the other fillies a smile. “But like I told you last time… I really don’t wanna talk about my cutie mark.” The faces of her three friends dropped, and as one they all said, “Awwwwww!!!”, but she shook her head firmly.

“But Honeysuckle, why not?!” Taffy exclaimed, bouncing in place. “You have such an awesome cutie mark, but you never talk about how you got it! I know if I got my cutie mark, you wouldn’t be able to get me to stop talking about it!”

“Ain’t THAT the truth,” Dreamcatcher said under her breath, drawing a huff and a green glare from the pink filly.

“Why don’t you want to talk about it?” Shortcake said, frowning. “I mean… was it… did something bad happen when you got it..?”

Honeysuckle just sighed and smiled, hoping that she could keep the small edge of sadness away from her friends’ eyes. “I promise my report’ll be something special, okay girls? But I can’t promise that it’ll have anything to do with my cutie mark.” The three other fillies opened their mouths again, but Honey cut them off quickly. “And I have to get home now, my Momma’s waiting for me! Bye!” With another smile she darted through the gate, leaving her friends staring after her.

“Awwww, you said we’d get her to talk this time!” Taffy huffed again.

“Hey, don’t look at me, Dreamcatcher dropped the ball!”

“Oooh sure, it’s MY fault…”

Honeysuckle cast a quick glance over her shoulder as she cantered swiftly down the street, ensuring that none of her friends were following her before she slowed to a walk and sighed in relief. I thought for sure they’d give up after the first seven tries, she thought. But I guess they’re all working on getting their stubborn-head cutie marks… The orange filly shook her head and turned the corner onto the main street of her town, trying her best to shake the tendrils of sadness that clung to her as she made her way through the recently rebuilt Whinnyapolis.

She found her eyes and mind wandering as she passed new building after new building, some so new that they still smelled of fresh sawdust and paint; even at her young age Honey found herself in awe of the many, many ponies who had dedicated themselves so whole-heartedly to getting their town up and running again in such a short amount of time. She knew that it wouldn’t have been possible had it not been for the help they’d received from Ponyville, and for that Whinnyapolians would be forever grateful.

Honey couldn’t help but smile as she made her way down main street; the buildings were all so neat and trim, and there were smiling ponies everywhere- shopping, selling, working or just passing through, it seemed that every single pony on the streets that day was sporting their best smile, and Honeysuckle knew that she couldn’t be left out of such a show. She received polite nods from several older stallions as she passed by, their graying manes bobbing respectably as they did so. Some of the shopkeepers greeted her by name and she took a few moments to wave and shout hello to them, a simple action that warmed her heart; every pony was going about their business as if all the terror and destruction that had happened here less than four months ago had never occurred at all, and Honey couldn’t be happier to move past it herself.

Her hooves clopped softly on the stone-paved street past the large statue of a beautiful alicorn, standing with her head lifted to the sky, her eyes resolved; the statue had been placed in honor of Princess Luna, who had helped them rebuild the city. Even the mere thoughts of the events that had destroyed their town brought back memories of a very different kind; memories that made her bright smile fade just slightly. Thinking of the dragon burning Whinnyapolis took her thoughts to Ponyville and from Ponyville to Sweet Apple Acres where she and her mother had stayed during the crisis, and from there…

She felt her ears droop slightly. From there to Mr. Wings, she thought. Her good mood started to wane as her mind turned to the thoughts of the gray Pegasus, and she sighed softly as she continued down the street. He was of course one of the biggest things to happen to her over the summer, perhaps the reason she had gotten her cutie mark… and one of the main reasons that she was so against talking about how she got it.

The orange filly kicked idly at a small pebble on the street as she walked. It wasn’t that she wasn’t proud of her mark- nothing could be farther from the truth, in fact. Honeysuckle was VERY proud of her cutie mark and even more so of the traits that it embodied- things that her Momma called “empathy and compassion”. When she asked her mother to explain, the purple mare had simply smiled at her and said that it was the ability to see what other ponies really feel and the heart to truly care for them because of and sometimes in spite of it. At first, Honeysuckle had been ecstatic- after all, that wasn’t something that just anypony could do! But now, three months after getting her mark… she was beginning to doubt that those really were her special talents.

Three months ago she had thrown her support in with a pony whom everypony else hated, a pony who had been exposed as a bad guy, but she had known without doubt that the shadows cast on him were not echoed in his heart. Wild Wings was a good pony, and she had wanted everypony to know it, too; if somepony had asked her then what she thought was going to happen in the months afterwards…

She shook her head sadly. Well, it doesn’t matter what I thought would happen… because it didn’t. But what was really bothering her was her mother, Thistledown. Ever since they had come back, Honey had been super-worried about her mom, and had tried to get her to talk about what had happened… but despite her best efforts her mother had merely smiled and told her that she was just fine. Every fiber of Honey’s heart was telling her that her mother was NOT happy, that something had broken in her that day three months ago… but Thistledown’s continued insistence that nothing was wrong was beginning to make Honeysuckle question herself.

Was I… was I wrong about Mr. Wings? She wondered. The very thought ate at her; she knew what she had hoped in the days after her talk with the Pegasus… but if she was wrong about her Momma… could she have been wrong about him, too?

Honeysuckle walked past one of the small flower stands that stood at the corner of two intersecting streets, and the pony there smiled at her. “Good afternoon, Honeysuckle!” the mare said with a bright smile. “How was school today?”

The filly managed a smile for the pink and white pony. “It was pretty good, Mrs. Vines,” she said, turning and approaching the mare’s stall. Honeysuckle’s green eyes danced across the flowers arrayed in baskets that Flowering Vines had set out. Roses, daisies, tulips and carnations displayed their brightest colors, drawing Honey’s smile out a bit more; regardless of her cutie mark and her special talent, few things made the filly smile like things that grow, and Mrs. Vines always had the most vibrant flowers in Whinnyapolis. “Ms. Heart assigned us our report today,” she continued. “We hafta talk about what we did this summer.”

The pink gardening pony’s eyes widened slightly, and she smiled again. “Ooh, is that so?” she said. “You were one of those who got to go stay in Ponyville, weren’t you?” Honeysuckle nodded, and Mrs. Vines made an interested noise. “So… you were there during the whole… situation that happened,” she said.

Honeysuckle nodded again, feeling her stomach tighten slightly. “Yes ma’am,” she said quietly, her eyes glued to the roses. Out of the corner of her eye she saw Mrs. Vines open her mouth again, but after a moment the mare closed it again. Finally, after more than a minute, Honey heard her sigh.

“Well, whatever you decide to do, Honeysuckle, I’m sure it will be wonderful.” Honeysuckle brought her eyes back up to the mare, who favored her with a kind smile before gesturing to the flowers around her. “See anything that you like?” she asked. She pointed her hoof to one of the brilliant white lilies that she had. “I bet this would look lovely in your mane, Honey.”

Honeysuckle felt the pain in her stomach ease slightly, and she shook her head before reaching into one of her saddlebags, withdrawing several bits and placing them on the cart. “Not the lilies… a rose and some of the daisies are the ones that I would like, please.” Mrs. Vines looked at the money and back to Honeysuckle, obviously about to refuse it, but Honey pushed the coins towards her. “They’re not for me,” she said. “They’re for my Momma.”

Mrs. Vines watched her closely for a moment, and Honey saw a flicker of sadness in the mare’s purple eyes, but it was gone as quickly as it had appeared. “All right, sweetheart,” the mare said. “But if they’re for your Momma, let me pick them, so they’re the best of my bunch, okay?”

The filly nodded, and after a minute or two Mrs. Vines held out a small bouquet of flowers to her, a brilliant red rose surrounded by three of the perkiest daisies Honeysuckle had ever seen. Honey took them gratefully and tucked them into her saddlebags so the heads of the flowers were poking out between the flap and the pouch.

“Thank you very much, Mrs. Vines, they really are the best of the bunch!” Honey said happily, gazing at the flowers. “I think Momma’ll like these a lot!”

Mrs. Vines smiled at her slightly. “Oh, it’s my pleasure, Honeysuckle,” she said. “I hope they make Thistledown feel better; we miss seeing her around here. Tell her that Flowering Vines said hello, would you?”

“Yes ma’am,” Honeysuckle said with a nod. “I sure will… and I’m sure she’ll be bringing her flowers to market again soon.” With one last smile she turned and started down the street, pretending she didn’t feel Mrs. Vines’ eyes on her as she did so.

She made her way through the mild crowd, trying to convince herself that these flowers would make a difference to her mother… unlike the other bouquets she’d purchased. She tried to tell herself that these would make things better, that somehow the rose and daisies would pull her Momma out of her funk. Maybe they will, she thought hopefully, but somewhere in the pit of her stomach she felt despair start to bubble up. She sighed again and her ears drooped as she rounded another corner, turning onto the street that would lead her home. I really, really hope they will… but… something’s got to happen to help Momma. Something bigger than flowers… but what can I do..?

Honeysuckle raised her eyes and swept the street again, and not for the first time she sent a plea to the only pony she knew who would listen no matter what the problem was, big or small. Daddy… she thought. If you’re still watching over us… please, show me what I need to do. Momma says that you were always sure of yourself, no matter what you were doing; please, show me how to be that way again. Show me how to help Momma… and me.

Her green gaze danced from pony to pony as she wove through the slightly more crowded street… but as she passed a small shop along the right side of the street, her eyes lit on one particular pony, and she felt her progress slow as if she had walked into a wall of jelly.

A Pegasus stepped out of the shop, nodding to the shopkeeper and thanking him, tossing his black mane and flicking his tail as he started down the street in the same direction Honey was going. The filly’s eyes widened as he rustled his smoky gray wings, the tips of which brushed against the red wings of his cutie mark… and as he turned to glance around the street, she saw his bright red eyes dancing curiously about the city, and she felt as though her chest was being squeezed by all three of her friends.

Her pace quickened unconsciously, her small hooves moving rapidly across the cobblestones as she felt her heart leap into her throat. She closed in on the stallion as time slowed down, and after a moment more he turned slightly, allowing her to see his face fully for the first time; the sight of him was enough to bring tears to her eyes, and a sob rose in her throat as she began to run towards him as fast as her legs could carry her.

Suddenly her hooves were no longer on the ground and she was flying through the air, her mane tossing around her face as she arched gracefully towards the stallion, and as she did so she managed to choke out his name, the one name that she had begged, wished, prayed and hoped that she would be able to say again.

“Wild Wings!!” she sobbed as she slammed into the gray stallion, wrapping her small orange hooves around his muscular neck with such force that she felt him stumble to the side and flop onto the ground with a grunt. She didn’t even bother to look up at him; she knew it was him, there wasn’t the slightest doubt in her mind… and for the first time in months, she realized that she had been right all along… about him, about her Momma, about everything… and she felt a sense of relief deep inside her so profound that she didn’t think was possible.

She buried her muzzle against his neck and cried the happiest tears that she could remember as she felt his strong forelegs wrap around her and hug her tightly in return. She felt all of her sadness, all of her frustration and confusion melt away as he held her close, as if his strength was allowing her to finally let go of it all; to finally drop the façade of confidence and be what she was- a confused little filly scared that she was losing her mom.

After a moment she heard him chuckle slightly, then heard his voice in her ear. “I… guess that means you missed me, right?”

Honeysuckle laughed even as her tears redoubled their efforts, and he snuggled her close to him as she nodded frantically, unable to speak.

Thank you Daddy… thank you so much.

~*~*~*~*~*~

Finally after several minutes Wild Wings shifted to a sitting position and lifted Honeysuckle with his hooves so he could look her in the eyes, his grin bright. “Well, that makes the trip out here worth it,” he said as Honey wiped her eyes with both hooves before giving him the brightest smile he’d ever seen, a smile that chased away all the shadows he’d felt upon arriving here.

“I… I was starting to wonder if I’d ever see you again, Mr. Wings…” Honeysuckle said, her voice quavering slightly as she fought her tears; immediately Wild felt a stake of guilt drive into his heart, but he managed to keep his smile in place.

“Sorry I kept you waiting, little filly,” he said softly, giving her a wink. “I had some… thinking to do, and it took a little longer than I expected.” He pulled her close for one last hug before he set her down; Honey took a few steps to her saddlebags, which had fallen off when she had leaped into the air; she slipped her head under the strap, lifting them into the air atop her mane before sliding them down her neck to settle perfectly on her back. Wild Wings grinned at her as she hurried back to him, her green eyes never leaving him like she was afraid he was going to vanish if she blinked.

“But… but you’re here now,” she said, gazing up at him. “What did you have to think about that took you so long, Mr. Wings?”

He opened his mouth to tell her that it was complicated, that it wasn’t something that a filly her age would understand… but as he looked into her eyes he felt the words die on his tongue, and instead he just sighed and shook his head slightly.

“I think you know,” he said quietly, unable to keep the warm smile from his lips.

Honeysuckle matched his smile as he stood. “Then… you’re here in Whinnyapolis cuz you… you’re gonna talk to my Momma?” she said, her voice hushed, as if saying the words too loudly would cause them to shatter and blow away in the wind.

The gray stallion’s smile became a grin as he reached out a hoof and tapped the filly’s cutie mark. “You tell me,” he said.

The orange filly’s smile widened so much that Wild thought it would split her face in half; she leaped forward and buried her face against him again hard enough to elicit a small “Oof!” from the Pegasus.

“Ohmmmgsshhmmcnnbrrrrvvvmmmtywwrrrvvrrrr!!” Honey said, her words buzzing against Wild’s muscular chest.

The Pegasus laughed and pushed Honey back a step. “Whoa filly… wanna run that by me again?”

Honeysuckle’s green eyes sparkled with more happiness than he had ever seen as she nodded. “I said, ‘OhmygoshIcan’tbelieveityouloveher!!’” Honey bounced on her hooves again as she giggled aloud. “And you do, don’t you! Otherwise you wouldn’t be here!!”

Wild Wings felt his cheeks grow hot. For Luna’s sake… was it really THAT obvious? He hadn’t even been reunited with Honeysuckle more than five minutes and he already felt like she knew him better than he did. He glanced at her flank, where the image of a brilliant green honeysuckle vine twined around a bright red heart and sprouted into a beautiful flower. A flower that knows the heart so well it’s a part of it, he thought. Just like in Ponyville.

“Now, hold on, Honeysuckle,” he said, holding up a hoof. The filly stopped jumping and giggling, but her eyes still glowed and her smile still threatened to take over all of her face. “I… I came to talk to your mom-,”

“-Because you love her!” Honey interjected happily.

“Well… I-,” Wild Wings opened his mouth, then closed it again and smiled. “Yes, Honeysuckle… because I love her.” Honey’s mouth flew open, but Wild’s hoof stopped any sound from coming out, and when she met his eyes he gave her his very best serious face. “But I have some questions for you before we go talk to her,” he said. “Now, I’m going to go get some ice cream; if a certain small orange filly would like some, I would love to have her join me, and maybe we can talk about her Momma?”

“YYWW GTT YRRRSSSFFF AADDDLLL!!”

“I’ll take that as a yes.”

~*~*~*~*~

“So, how have the two of you been since moving back?”

The two of them now sat at a small ice cream shop a few blocks away from where Honeysuckle said her home was; Wild was sipping a milkshake, while Honey was trying valiantly to finish a sundae that had started out easily as large as her head. Finally, Honeysuckle put down her spoon and patted her full stomach happily before answering.

“Well, things have been okay,” she said, wiping a hoof across her snout to take any excess ice cream away. “Our house got rebuilt right where the old one used to be, which made me and Momma both very happy!”

Wild smiled softly. “I know it did, Honeysuckle; I helped build it.”

Honey’s eyes widened. “…you did?” she whispered incredulously, and Wild winced inwardly, trying his best to hide his disappointment. Thistle never told her…

“Yeah, I did; I guess your Momma must have forgotten to tell you,” he said, holding firmly to his smile. “But I’m glad that you’re happy with it, Honey.” It took a lot for him not to feel slightly bitter about Thistledown not telling the filly who helped build their house, but he had to admit that he didn’t blame her; after all, he had just broken her heart, and he was obviously not a pony that she wanted her daughter bringing up randomly in conversation. He took a sip of his milkshake and allowed the creamy chocolate to wash the bitterness away.

“I’m VERY happy with it!” Honeysuckle said, playing with the melting ice cream in her dish with the spoon, her eyes twinkling. “Momma and I planted a garden out back just like before, and I’ve been helping her tend it; she started growing flowers to take to market along with our vegetables! Mrs. Vines said that my Momma grows the very best peppers in town, and some of the most beautiful flowers, too!” The filly nodded to her bag, where the rose and daisies poked out. “Mrs. Vines is the pony I bought those from,” she said. “I bought them to try and cheer Momma up.” Wild frowned as he watched Honeysuckle’s face fall from almost blissful joy to discouraged and downtrodden in a matter of seconds.

“What’s been going on with your mom?” he asked, pushing what was left of his milkshake aside. “Is she feeling well?”

Honey nodded, but her eyes were sad. “Yes, Momma’s just fine… well, her body is… but her heart…” The orange filly sighed, stood up in her chair and pointed to her cutie mark with a hoof. “Mr. Wings, do you know what my special talent is?” she asked seriously.

Wild Wings blinked, and did his best not to smile at the very solemn expression on the filly’s features. “Well, I know you got it by showing empathy and compassion,” he said, trying to keep his face as serious as hers. “Am I right?”

Honeysuckle nodded, her nose wrinkled slightly. “Absolutely right, Mr. Wings; and do you know what they mean?”

Now Wild couldn’t help himself; her tone of voice was obviously mimicking one of her teachers from school, and the filly was so serious about it that he just could not keep the smile from his face. “I believe I do,” he said. “It means that you can-,”

“-See a pony’s true feelings an’ love them no matter what,” Honeysuckle said, cutting him off. “Exactly.” Wild suppressed a chuckle as the filly sat herself back down and looked across the table at him severely. “But ever since we moved back to Whinnyapolis, Momma’s been telling me that she’s ‘Just fine’ and that I shouldn’t worry because there’s nothing wrong with her… but there is something wrong with her, Mr. Wings!” Tears slowly began to gather at the corners of Honeysuckle’s eyes, and her bottom lip started to quiver ever so slightly as she continued. “I know something’s wrong, way down in my heart… but Momma just smiles and says she’s fine… But that means that Momma’s lying to me, Mr. Wings… because I know I’m right because I was right about you and now you’re here and Momma needs to just tell me what’s wrong..!” She sniffled, and a tear escaped her eyes and ran down her cheek.

Wild Wings felt his heart break for her, and with a sigh he flapped his wings, rose out of the chair and hovered over to her, plopping down in the chair directly next to her. “Now Honeysuckle,” he said soothingly, in a voice that he would never have discovered without meeting this filly, “Your Momma is trying to be strong for you, that’s all; she doesn’t want you to be worried about her when you need to be thinking about school and all the things a filly your age should be worried about.”

A small hoof wove its way around his foreleg, pulling him slightly closer. “But… I can’t stop worrying about her, Mr. Wings… she’s all I have…” She sniffled again harder, bordering on a sob. “But she won’t talk to me because I’m just a filly… and she has grown-up problems…”

Wild Wings frowned. “Now who told you that?”

“The fillies at school,” Honey replied sadly. “And they’re right… Momma can’t talk to me about her problems because I’m just a foal…”

“That’s enough of that kind of talk, little miss,” Wild Wings said, his voice firm. Honeysuckle’s moist green eyes rose to meet his, and he gave her a fierce smile. “You might be just a filly, but your Momma loves you more than anything; I’ve seen that much. If she wasn’t afraid that you’d be hurt by talking about her problems, she would definitely have talked to you, Honey, and your age wouldn’t matter. You,” he reached out a hoof and gently poked her in the chest, and she giggled in spite of her tears, “are an amazing little filly, Honeysuckle; I’ve rarely met a full-grown pony with half as much heart and spunk as you.” His smile became soft. “The reason she’s keeping it from you is that she’s afraid it’ll hurt you more than help you, and that’s a hard decision for her to make, OK? You being a foal has nothing to do with it.”

“You… really think so?”

“I know so,” Wild said with a nod. “Your Momma knows just how smart you are and just how big your heart is, and she doesn’t want you to worry about things you can’t fix.”

Honeysuckle watched him closely for a moment, her eyes searching his as if the truth were right there, waiting to be found. I guess for her it just MIGHT be, he thought; but lucky for him, he was telling the absolute truth. He might not have known Thistledown very well, but he remembered all too well the look in her eyes that fateful day in Ponyville; those were the eyes of a mother who knew her foal better than anyone else, and talking to Applejack had only confirmed it for him.

“Besides,” he said, giving Honeysuckle’s hoof a squeeze with his foreleg, “You’ve got one less problem to worry about, now.”

Honey wiped her eyes with her free hoof. “What’d you mean?”

Wild felt his eyes burn as he smiled at her. “Because she’s not the only one you have now,” he said, his voice breaking slightly. “Because no matter what, Honeysuckle… no matter what your mom says or wants to do… I’ll always be here for you, okay?”

That did it; the orange filly’s lip quivered and she threw herself from her chair directly at Wild Wings, her eyes bursting with tears as she flew into his waiting hooves. He caught her deftly and pulled her close to his chest as she sobbed quietly against his shoulder, her mane bobbing violently. Wild squeezed his eyes closed and felt a few tears of his own slide down his cheeks, but right then he didn’t care; what mattered most to him right then was letting this filly know that regardless of what happened, he would be there- that she would never have to be afraid of being alone ever again.

You’ll never be alone again, little one… never again.

After a few long moments Honey’s shoulders stopped jerking, and she raised her red-rimmed eyes to Wild, her smile broad despite her tears. “Mr. Wings…” she said shakily, “I…” She laid her head against him once more, and she sighed. “I love you, Mr. Wings… and no matter what she says… I know my Momma does, too.”

The gray Pegasus sniffed back more tears and patted the filly on the back comfortingly. “I sure hope she does, Honeysuckle,” he said quietly.

Suddenly, Honeysuckle tensed and her head shot up, her eyes wide. “Oh ponyfeathers,” she hissed. “Momma’s waiting for me at home!!” She glanced at the clock in the ice cream shop and squeaked. “An’ I was supposed to be home an hour ago!!” Honeysuckle leaped from Wild’s grasp and flew to her saddlebags, scooping them onto her back in the same motion she had before and bolting to the door, where she paused and looked back urgently. “C’mon Mr. Wings, we’ve got to go! Momma’s gonna be awful upset with me as it is, and it’ll take us twenty minutes to walk to my house from here!” She danced impatiently from hoof to hoof as Wild rose from his chair and walked to her.

“I hope you won’t be in any trouble, Honey,” he said as she hopped around, eager to get moving. He grinned at her. “But what if I told you I could get you home much faster than twenty minutes..?”

“Mr. Wings, don’t be silly. I know how long it takes to get from my house to anywhere in Whinnyapolis, and trust me, you can’t get from here to there in less than twenty min…utes…”

Wild Wings grinned broadly as he unfurled his wings and gave them a flap, blowing Honeysuckle's mane backwards. “But you don’t have a set of these,” he said as he stepped out the door and dropped to a knee. “Well? C’mon, we shouldn’t keep your mom waiting any longer!”

Honeysuckle’s eyes went as wide as dinner plates. “…best day ever,” she said under her breath before taking a flying leap and landing on his back.

Wild Wings stood up and shifted her slightly onto his back more comfortably, flexing his wings before grinning back at her. “All right, little filly, hold on tight… and try not to scream TOO loudly.”

Honey grinned wildly. “No promises!”

With a huge flap of Wild’s wings the two ponies shot skyward, leaving the ground, the town, and for the moment, their troubles, behind.

Chapter 5

It was a beautiful autumn day in Whinnyapolis, certainly not one that any sane pony would spend inside if they didn’t have to; and if there was anything that could be said about Thistledown, it was that she was as sane a pony as ever there was.

The amethyst mare wiped a hoof across her brow and readjusted the handkerchief that was tied around her head, smiling down at the bright green leaves of her plants. The golden rays of the sun danced across the varied vegetables and flowers in her small garden, their colors shimmering before her eyes as a gentle breeze teased them. The earth pony mare smiled at her small plants; autumn was wearing on, and it would soon be time to harvest her hard work for the season. She reached out a hoof and touched one of the plump bell peppers that hung off of a plant, her smile soft. Very little in this world made Thistledown smile like fresh growing things and good tilled earth, but the love she had for her daughter dwarfed any love she had for plants. The thought of Honeysuckle brought Thistledown’s eyes to the sun, which was beginning its descent towards the western horizon. Honey should be getting out of school soon, she thought to herself as she turned towards the house. I’ll see about getting a snack together for her.

She wound her way back through the extensive garden, which took up twice the space that her house did, and ascended the two small steps that brought her to her back door. The purple mare sighed contently as she entered the interior of the house, the shade falling across her face like the touch of a cool wind where the sun had been moments before. Her house was not fashionably decorated, nor grand in design; in fact, it was built in very similar style to Applejack’s farmhouse in Ponyville- simple and functional. The back door led into a small porch that contained three doors; two on the walls, one to the exterior of the home and one to the interior, and one to Thistle’s left that led straight down into the cellar, where she stored her goods until it was time to sell them. She pushed the second door open and entered the kitchen, a modest room with a small island and ample counter space, all finished in light wood and white tile that gave it a bright, welcoming feel. She paused at the sink, washing her hooves and using a towel to wipe the dirt from her face as she discarded the handkerchief tied around her forehead and mane.

She shook her emerald mane out and wished for a brush, but that would be upstairs in her bedroom and very much out of the way right then; so with a mental note to get it as soon as she was finished, Thistledown set about making her daughter an after-school snack. Several stalks of celery, a few pieces of an apple (one of the many she’d purchased and had sent from Sweet Apple Acres) and a large glob of peanut butter on a plate would certainly sate her undoubtedly hungry filly.

As she set about slicing the celery with a knife, her eyes went to one of the many pictures that adorned her home; it was a miracle that so many survived the dragon that had ravaged their town, and one for which she gave thanks every day. This particular picture, however, caused her to slow down in her slicing and brought a slow, subtle ache to her heart.

It was framed simply with dark cherry wood, and within it two ponies nuzzled one another’s cheeks; a mare with a deep green mane and purple coat, and a bright orange stallion with a dusty brown mane and brilliant blue eyes. The mare had her eyes closed- obviously enjoying the closeness of the stallion- but the look in the stallion’s eyes said it all; it was a look of absolute adoration for the mare, one that said he would do anything for her, anything and everything.

Thistledown sighed and the chopping of the celery sped back up. She had not kept many pictures of her late husband up in the home; she had MANY, certainly, but they were tucked safely away in the cellar in magically-protected boxes that had saved them from fire and any number of other things over the years. Having too many pictures of him up had only served to remind her of his loss, but this picture she could never bring herself to take from the kitchen; it was the picture of the two of them the night he had asked her to marry him, a night that Thistledown remembered vividly, and one of the few memories that brought her more happiness than grief.

She couldn’t help but sigh as she lifted the celery onto a plate with her hooves. Steady Plow had been as true as his name; he had been a calm and collected pony with an infectious zeal for life, as well as the most positive attitude Thistledown had ever seen. She remembered many times in their life when things had looked bleak- be it because of financial troubles, family problems or simply problems with one another- and she herself had thought that things looked hopeless, Steady had simply smiled that wide, gentle smile of his and said his favorite phrase: “Thistledown, bad things don’t happen to good ponies for no reason. Everything has a purpose, even if we can’t see it.”

The sliced apple made its way onto the plate next to the celery, Thistle unconsciously arranging the plate so that the celery sticks alternated with the apple slices in a wagon-wheel shape. She could not count the number of times Steady had said that to her; she DID know that it was almost the same amount of times she had almost thrown something at him in frustration when he’d said it… but she couldn’t doubt his resolve. He stuck to that belief his entire life, and his steadfastness saw them through. Even when he fell sick, and nopony anywhere could find any reason why a strong, healthy stallion had simply fallen ill and couldn’t get better, he would not let her be mad.

Thistle opened the jar of peanut butter and absentmindedly spooned a large glop of the creamy tan substance onto the middle of the plate. She could still see his face, gaunt and tired as he lay in his bed. She had been so mad… mad at him, mad at whatever had gotten him sick, mad at the entire world… and he had taken her hoof in his and given it a squeeze. “Everything has a reason, Thistle,” he’d said to her. “Even this illness… even me bein’ taken away from you and Honey. It’s not fair, and it ain’t going to be easy for you… but you just have to trust me, and trust in whatever powers’re turning our world.”

Even on his deathbed, that stubborn pony made me feel like things would be okay. She lifted the plate with her teeth and carried it to the table in the dining room. I don’t care what they said his special talent was; his real talent was getting me to believe that they would be. She set the plate down and sighed before casting a glance around the home. And I almost did…

She had begun life anew when Steady had passed away; she had taken it on herself to raise Honeysuckle as best as she could by herself and, to her credit, she had always been told how well-behaved and well-rounded Honeysuckle was. Together, mother and daughter had settled into a routine, and life had started to feel almost normal again…

And then the fire, and the dragon, and Ponyville had happened.

And then I met him.

Even thinking about him caused her to grit her teeth together slightly, but her anger towards the gray Pegasus didn’t stop the ache that rose above the old, deep one and pulse pain anew into her heart.

Thistledown sighed and cast her eyes to the clock that stood atop her mantelpiece; it read 3:30 on the nose, and the mare seated herself at the table, placing a smile she hoped looked genuine to her daughter onto her face. Honey would be home any moment, and she didn’t want her to see the memories and feelings that had painted her face for the past half hour. She didn’t need to worry about her mother; Thistle wanted Honeysuckle to worry about herself, and not her momma.

And so Thistle waited.

…and waited.

…and waited…

~*~*~*~*~*~

The clock read 4:40 as Thistledown paced the hall from the living room to the kitchen, her hooves clopping against the wood floor as followed the same circuit she had been making for the past 45 minutes. She kept throwing anxious glances at the clock, half trying to convince herself that the clock was just broken… but that argument never stuck. Honeysuckle was an hour and ten minutes late, and that was very unlike her.

“She’s always on time,” Thistle said to herself in a voice laced with worry. “She never dawdles after school with friends, and she never stops for more than a few minutes here and there to speak to the street vendors, even Mrs. Vines, and that mare can gab.” She turned in the kitchen and made her way back towards the living room, her eyes darting out the front windows as she did so, hoping and praying that she would spy a bobbing pink and white mane, but her heart sank once more as yet again her desperate wish yielded nothing. “Honeysuckle never gets held after school, and somepony would have notified me if she had to…”

As quick as she could (and for the hundredth time) Thistledown searched her memory for any notices that may have come home, be they for detention or a field trip or even for an after-school event, but nothing of the sort came to mind. She paced the living room once, circling the small table in front of the couch before making her way back to the kitchen. For what felt like the thousandth time she fought the urge to dart from the house and begin searching for Honey herself, but the last thing she wanted was for Honeysuckle to come home to an empty house while she was out; after all, then Honey might leave searching for her, and the mess would only get bigger… and so she settled on circling the island in the kitchen, her chest tight with worry as she waited with unbelievable impatience for some word of her daughter.

She turned back towards the living room when she heard the front door of her home open tentatively, the hinge squeaking softly as it opened. Her ears perked straight up.

“Honeysuckle?!” she called. “Is that you?!”

An agonizing silence, and then a happy, “Yes Momma, it’s me!”

Thistledown felt like she might explode with relief, but the cool torrent of it suddenly swelled into anger, and the amethyst mare had to fight to keep her voice calm as she turned towards the doorway, her hoofsteps quick and precise.

“And where were you, Honeysuckle Marie Plow?” she asked, her voice much cooler than she had intended. Of course, using the full name of any pony immediately denoted that they were in very deep trouble, but at that moment Thistledown felt justified in a little parental intimidation. She rounded the corner of the home and saw her daughter hurry inside the door, her beautiful mane a rats-nest of tangles and windblown waves. Thistle’s eyes widened as her daughter smiled up at her broadly. “And… what in the name of Equestria happened to your mane?” Thistledown asked incredulously.

“Oh Momma,” Honeysuckle gushed, “This has been the best day ever!” The filly bounced over and into Thistle, burying her face against the emerald green mane that dangled down past the mare’s chest. Thistledown allowed her a moment for a hug before pushing her back with a hoof, her very best angry mother expression firmly in place.

“Honeysuckle, you will explain to me where you have been for the past hour, and you will explain now.”

Normally when Thistledown became stern, Honeysuckle shrank; she didn’t like it when her mother sounded angry, whether Thistle truly was or not… but today it didn’t even seem to faze her.

First, she reached behind her and removed four very bent and windblown flowers, a rose and three daisies. The flowers looked like they had been through the worst windstorm Whinnyapolis had ever seen even though there was barely a breeze outside. She hefted them and looked so proud that Thistle could do nothing but take them from her and allow the filly to being talking.

“Well, first at school Ms. Heart assigned us a report about what we did this summer, and then my friends wanted me to tell them about my cutie mark, but I told them no; but THAT isn’t what makes this the best day ever!” Honeysuckle took a quick breath and Thistle tried to intervene, but there was no stopping Honey now. “What makes it the absolute most bestest day EVER is that I was on my way home and stopped to see Mrs. Vines and she sold me those flowers which are for you because you’re the bestest momma ever, and Mrs. Vines says she can’t wait to see you when you start selling again.”

“That’s very nice Honey-,”

“But then as I was leaving her stall I saw somepony who I recognized, and I talked to him and then he and I went for ice cream and by the time I noticed what time it was it was reeeeally late and there was no way I was going to get home in less than twenty minutes and he told me he could do it in way less and we probably did but we could have done it a lot faster if he hadn’t done the barrel rolls.”

“Honey, what are you-,”

“Not that I wanted him to not do the barrel rolls, those were so cool! And you would-,”

“HONEYSUCKLE!!”

The filly stopped mid-word and blinked innocently. “Yes Momma?”

“What, in the name of Princess Celestia and all that is good in this world, are you talking about, filly?!” Thistledown was officially at her wit’s end, and she felt like her emotions were in a blender as relief, irritation, anger and joy all whirled about. “Who were you with?? And where were you!?”

Honeysuckle arched an eyebrow at her in the most blatant I thought I just explained this to you expression Thistledown had ever seen, but to her credit the filly took a slow breath.

“I was with a friend,” she said simply. “And this friend took me for ice cream and then flew me home.”

It felt as if somepony had turned off the blender and simply let her emotions fall where they may. “A friend… flew you home?” Thistle asked tentatively, her voice suddenly not as confident as it had been. Honey doesn’t have any friends big enough to do that… and I don’t know any Pegasi.

…unless…

Honeysuckle turned towards the door, a huge smile on her face as she gestured for whoever was outside to come in. There must have been some hesitation from the other party, because Honeysuckle frowned and gestured once more, a bit more firmly, before finally making a small growl and pointing at the floor next to her. Thistledown heard a deep sigh from outside, then a few gentle hoofsteps.

And then her world exploded around her as he walked into her life again.

She felt herself go numb as the gray Pegasus walked into her home, his gaze on the floor; there was simply too much to feel all at once for her to process. The first coherent thought she could make was that he really hadn’t changed much since she’d last seen him; his coat was still smoky gray, his black mane was still the same style and cut, and he looked like he’d been keeping himself in good shape. The second coherent thought was angry; how dare he come to this city, and kidnap her daughter!? She felt the white-hot rage surge to her mouth, ready to be spat like dragonfire at him, to melt him into the background and leave him gone forever.

Then he raised his eyes to hers, and she again felt that flutter in her chest, the same pulsing that she had felt that night in the garden, and the third coherent thought burst into her mind: He came back.

His eyes seemed to bore into her as he gave her a remorseful smile and nodded to her so deeply it came close to a bow. “I, uh… I’m sorry that Honey’s late getting home from school, Thistledown,” he said carefully. “To tell you the truth, it’s my fault- I didn’t even ask when she needed to be home before taking her for ice cream.”

Thistledown stared at him open-mouthed for a moment longer, her mind warring with her heart for the words she wanted to say; then her eyes strayed to her daughter, staring in adoration at the stallion before her, and her mouth snapped shut.

“Honeysuckle,” she said calmly, “would you please go to your room?”

The filly blinked. “Momma?”

“Go to your room, please,” she repeated as calmly as she could, but the undercurrent of icy anger leaked through into the words, and Honeysuckle picked up on it easily. The filly’s big green eyes suddenly lost their shine, and her bottom lip quivered, but she managed to hold herself together as she turned back to the stallion.

“I-it was good to see you again, Mr. Wings,” she said quietly; she hesitated for a moment, then leaped forward to hug the other pony firmly. She whispered something to him before dropping back to all four hooves and running from the room as quickly as she could, but it wasn’t quick enough to hide her tears from her mother. Thistle felt her heart break a little, but as she turned back to the gray stallion, she felt the crack fill with anger.

“So its Mr. Wings now, is it?” she asked coldly. “Going by your old name again? Or is it a new name altogether?”

The stallion shuffled his wings nervously, but he forced his red eyes to meet hers, and again Thistle felt that irritating flutter in her chest.

“Wild Wings,” he said softly. “My old name.”

“Convenient having many names to go by, isn’t it,” she said, anger simmering in her eyes. “What are you doing here in Whinnyapolis? I thought I made it perfectly clear that you were to stay away from me and my daughter.”

Wild Wings shifted on his hooves. “You did, Thistledown; but I realized that I needed to talk to you again.”

Thistle exhaled sharply and turned her eyes to the window. “What could we possibly have to talk about, Wild Wings?” she said, her tongue feeling more like a razor than a body part. “You lied to me, lied to everypony, and then tried to kill us all. I’d say that pretty much sums up anything of interest that we could converse about.”

She let her anger take hold of her; she let it sweep her away, saying whatever she felt would get him out of her house and out of her life… because deep down she knew that more than anything in the world she had wanted this stallion to show up. She couldn’t even say why she wanted him here; she didn’t know if she wanted him to love her, wanted him to apologize… Well, I definitely want him to apologize, she thought, but even that didn’t make a lot of sense; it wasn’t like they’d had a relationship before his falsehoods had come out, so it wasn’t as if he owed her anything... and yet she felt betrayed, betrayed in the most basic sense of the word, as if he had wronged her so mightily that she felt like she should never forgive him for it. The sharpness of her words seemed to have stunned the Pegasus, but after a moment he regained what little composure he had left.

“Thistledown,” he said, the softness in his voice surprising the mare. “You know very well that I didn’t want to do that. I told you- well… I tried to tell you. I told everypony who would listen, hoping that…” He sighed, obviously steeling himself for something; Thistledown found herself becoming angrier and more curious as he took a step towards her. “I told everypony that by that time, the three of us had decided to work against Dark Star… but we had to make it seem like we were still with him, so he would not suspect until it was too late. He couldn’t know, and Twilight, Applejack and the others couldn’t know, or else they would have pulled their punches.” He took another step forward, and Thistle felt her chest begin to ache at the honesty in his eyes. “I wanted to tell you, that day in the barn, Thistledown,” he said quietly. “I wanted to tell you what was going on; that Honey had broken whatever hold the amulet of Anger had on me, that… that you made me want something more. Something beyond the anger and revenge- something that I didn’t realize that I wanted until I met the two of you…” He gave her a shaky smile. “… a family, Thistledown. I wanted… I wanted to be a family, with the two of you. I want… I want to be a father to Honeysuckle… and-,”

Thistledown stamped a hoof so hard against the floor that it made the whole room shake, cutting the Pegasus off mid-word. Anger was blazing in her, fueled by confusion, despair and Celestia knew what else mixing around in her heart.

“You…” she hissed. “You think you can just walk back in here and be Honeysuckle’s father?” She could feel the heat rising in her face as her anger grew, and she took a step threateningly towards Wild Wings, her ears laid back against her head. “You think that you can just show up here, take her out and about town without my permission and then have the absolute gall to suggest that you want to be her father?!”

Wild Wings blinked. “Thistledown, I’m trying to tell you that I-,”

“I don’t care WHAT you are trying to tell me, Wild Wings. I want you out of my house and out of our lives- NOW.”

“But-,”

“NOW!!!”

Thistledown’s anger was boiling over like a pot of potatoes left on the stove too long; the mere presence of this Pegasus was throwing her into a spin that she could not pull out of- she knew that she should feel something other than rage towards him, but it seemed that she simply could not. She knew there were ten million things she wanted to say to him, things she had dreamed of saying to him, both good and bad, that would sum up how she felt about this particular situation; deep in her heart she knew she wanted him to finish the sentence he had begun, but her fear had stirred her anger up beyond repair, now- a fear that had settled into her heart after Steady had passed, and one that had only grown larger since she had first met him in Ponyville:

She was afraid of what would happen if she let herself be close to anypony ever again.

She had allowed herself one night, one amazing night of believing that somepony could fill her heart the way that Steady had, and that she may indeed be able to find love again… but those hopes had been destroyed when Wild’s betrayal had been brought to light. The fact that Wild had worked with Dark Star was of little consequence to Thistledown; what sparked her anger towards him was the fact that he had accepted her invitation, allowed her to place all her hopes on him, and not told her about what he truly was. That meant (in a not-quite-logical way, she admitted) that he didn’t care enough about her or what he said he wanted to be honest with her, which he should have if he truly wanted to be part of her family, consequences aside.

The gray Pegasus held his silence for a moment longer, his bright red eyes staring at her in confusion. Thistledown continued to give him the angriest stare she could muster, but the hurt in his eyes was quickly wearing her down. He looks very convincing if he’s lying, a voice said deep in her mind, but she quickly buried it. Finally, Wild shifted his hooves slightly apart, but instead of turning towards the exit, he took a deep breath.

“I came a very long way to talk to you, Thistledown,” he said gently… and his tone infuriated the angry mare even more, if that was possible.

“I don’t care if Princess Luna flew you in direct from the Moon, Wild Wings- I want you to leave.”

“You don’t even want to talk to me? Find out what I want to say?”

“Not for all the bits in Equestria.”

“But… why not?” A subtle fire ignited in his eyes, and he stood straighter. “I know that I hurt you, Thistledown, and I am truly, deeply sorry for that; but surely you can see that I really had no choice. If Dark Star had found out that we were working against him, he might have just blown the town up instead of fighting the Princesses like he did. Trust me when I tell you that he was just evil enough to do it, then.”

Thistledown sighed. Why won’t you just GO, you stupid Pegasus?! “Listen to me-,”

“No, Thistledown; you are going to listen to me, now.” His voice was firm, but somehow kind- a voice that snapped her eyes back to his face and brought her raging anger to a simmer. He sighed again, and when he spoke it was in the same gentle, confident tone. “I know that you are upset, and you have a right to be. I also know that no amount of “I’m sorry” can make you feel any better about seeing me again.” He chuckled softly. “In fact, I was fairly sure you were going to hit me with something very hard the moment I walked through your door… but it was a risk I was willing to take to see you again.”

Somewhere beneath Thistledown’s anger, another emotion began to bubble up, one that she had not allowed herself to feel in… well, since that night in the garden: hope.

“It’s very clear that you aren’t exactly happy to see me-,”

Thistledown snorted slightly. “Really, you think?”

Wild continued, unperturbed. “-but I hope that when you hear what I have to say, you will change your mind.” He shifted on his hooves. “Well, at least… I mean, you don’t have to change your mind, obviously, but…” The stallion shook his head slightly. “I’m sorry, I don’t mean to ramble, I know you want me to leave, but please… hear me out?”

The purple mare watched him carefully, her green eyes sweeping him from hoof to mane, trying to discern what it was exactly that he was up to… but the hope bubbling in her chest had somehow forced curiosity up above anger inside her, and she gave him a barely perceptible nod.

“You have two minutes.”

Wild Wings grinned broadly and took a quick breath. “All right.” He cleared his throat. “Thistledown, I know that things didn’t end… or even begin well for us. I know that we met under strange and unhappy circumstances, and that you have every right to want me to walk out of your life and never look back.” His grin became a sincere smile, and Thistle felt her anger melt further and further away. “But I want you to know… that I haven’t been able to stop thinking about you since I left Whinnyapolis. I thought that I would just… stop feeling what I did, but it didn’t happen. Thoughts of you have invaded my mind at every moment, sleeping and awake, and…” He trailed off, and Thistle leaned forward unconsciously.

And…?

“…and I want to know if I ever… I mean, if you ever…” He made a small growl in his throat, chewed thoughtfully on his cheeks for a moment, then exhaled slowly. “I want to know if you’d like to give us a chance.”

Thistledown felt her knees wobble slightly; it was all she could do to remain standing and not either run for a chair or rush towards him. Every fiber of her being screamed YES!! The hope that had lay dormant in her chest exploded outwards, rushing to the far corners of her mind and heart and filling her with the warmest feeling she had experienced in a very long time… but as quickly as the warmth filled her, a prickly feeling gathered at the base of her throat and rose almost to the back of her mouth, and the cold touch of absolute fear swirled into her, whirling with the hope in a forbidden and dangerous dance. She opened her mouth once to tell him yes and closed it only to open it a moment later to tell him no, then close it again. Her mind became swirled in fog, and she found that she couldn’t think straight; the only thought that she could wrap her mind around right then was that he was asking her to try something that she had dreamed of since meeting him… but now she wasn’t sure if she wanted it.

Finally, after several minutes of staring at him, Thistledown sighed.

“…I can’t answer that right now,” she said softly.

Wild Wings looked simultaneously grateful beyond belief and disappointed beyond reason. “Oh… w-well, that’s fine, I mean, you don’t have to answer right away,” he began, but Thistle held up a hoof.

“Please, give me… give me tonight to think about it… and um… come back tomorrow… sometime after noon.” She hesitated. “Make that after 3.” She sighed. “Dinnertime. Come back around dinnertime, and we’ll talk.”

The gray Pegasus’ face split into a huge smile, and in spite of herself Thistle felt her heart warm at the sight. “All right Thistledown,” he said. “Tomorrow, dinnertime; you can bet I’ll be here half an hour early.” He stared at her for a very long moment, as if trying to memorize what she looked like close up; Thistledown felt herself blush at the scrutiny, and with a jolt of horror realized that in all the confusion she never had brushed her mane. Finally the Pegasus turned towards the door. “I’ll see you tomorrow,” he said over his shoulder; then he was gone.

Thistle heard him begin flapping his wings almost as soon as he was out the door, and she waited until the sound was gone; then she waited another full minute before shutting the front door and turning back to the house.

“Honeysuckle!” she called, trotting towards the stairs. “Get packed! We’re leaving!”

From her room upstairs, Thistledown heard Honey’s voice, full of confusion. “Pack? But Momma, where are we going? I thought we were going to go cherry-picking this weekend.”

Thistle trotted to Honeysuckle’s room and tossed her a smile that she hoped was steadier than she felt. “Well, change of plans, my dear; we’re going to Ponyville to visit Applejack.”

She was running, and she knew it. As much as part of her desperately wanted to talk to him again, wanted more than anything to have the chance he had talked about… the fear in her heart was incredible, and right then, in that moment of panic and confusion, the fear took over and offered her a path to take, one that she would not have to wait for, and that was the one she needed… so she would take it.

Chapter 7

The world was slowly losing its color around Wild Wings as he plodded slowly down the road that would lead him out of Ponyville. His eyes stared ahead unblinkingly as he walked forward, his wings held loosely behind him, his head bowed in abject defeat.

He’d lost. He’d tried so hard to be there for her, to let her know how he felt… and he’d lost. He still couldn’t believe it… and yet here he was, walking down this road… alone.

Just like you’ve always been, he thought as he walked. Even with the others… I was alone. Morning said as much; we were a unit, but we weren’t friends… and now even with friends, I can’t have the one pony I want more than anything.

He felt his eyes begin to burn, and he blinked back the hot tears that began to fill his vision. She doesn’t want me… and I can’t push her any more… even for Honey’s sake. Just thinking of the little orange filly who had changed his life so much shot a sliver of pain through his chest, but he took a shaky breath and kept walking… because there was nothing left for him here.

His hooves had carried him almost to the edge of town when he heard the bushes off to his right rustle violently, but so distraught and lost in his own thoughts was he that he didn’t even look over at it. In fact, it wasn’t until the impact that he realized anything was going on at all, and then it was far too late; he heard a strange shout and then was tackled by a flying ball of blurred colors that flashed before his eyes as he rolled across the ground- first orange, then white, then orange again, white, purple, yellow, orange, white, pink, red, purple, white, until finally the world and the colors stopped spinning and Wild found himself lying on his back, his wings splayed out on the ground, staring up at the faces of four young fillies… one of whom was a very unhappy looking Honeysuckle.

“Are you sure this is the guy?” the little orange Pegasus asked, her magenta eyes dubious.

“I’m sure,” Honeysuckle said, her voice soft and tight. Wild winced under her gaze and turned to look at the other fillies; one he recognized immediately as Apple Bloom, Applejack’s little sister. Her yellow coat and bright red mane were impossible to forget.

“Well, Cutie Mark Crusaders,” she drawled adorably, “Ah’d say this was a successful mission!”

The last filly, a small white unicorn with a dual-tone pastel mane, frowned. “But… what was the mission?” she asked. “All Honeysuckle said was Get him, and we did.”

“That’s successful, Sweetie Belle!” the orange Pegasus said, pumping a hoof in the air. “You don’t need lots of planning for something to be a mission!”

Sweetie Belle wrinkled her nose, and the expression was so familiar that Wild Wings blinked, but couldn’t place where he’d seen it before. “Lots of planning? Scootaloo, we didn’t plan at ALL.”

“The best KIND of mission! Impulsive and random!” The tiny Pegasus’ wings buzzed behind her in excitement. “Exactly the kind of mission that Rainbow Dash would have!” Next to Honeysuckle, Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle both groaned, and Wild got the distinct impression that Scootaloo’s interest in Rainbow Dash was something that came up often.

But Honeysuckle didn’t seem to notice her friend’s conversation; her green eyes were staring directly at Wild, and they were filled with anger.

“So that’s it, then?” she asked, her small voice packed with more emotion that Wild would have thought possible. “You’re just going to leave?? What the hay is going on?! I thought when I saw you that you were going to TALK to my Momma, not leave!”

Wild looked up at her, into those clear green eyes that had found the holes in his armor of anger three months ago, and realized that he couldn’t tell her anything but the truth. He sighed, and then lifted his left hoof from beneath Scootaloo to point at his cheek, where the imprint of Thistledown’s hoof still stung.

“This is what your mom did to me, Honey… when I tried to talk to her.”

The four fillies stared in surprise at his face; Honeysuckle looked like she was about to call him a liar, but as she looked at him she realized that he was, indeed, telling her the truth. She reached out a tiny hoof and touched his cheek, and even that gentle brush of contact was enough to make him wince.

Scootaloo whistled softly. “Girls… let’s not ever make Honey’s mom really mad, okay?”

“Okay,” Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle agreed together.

“My Momma… did that?” Honey whispered in disbelief. “Why… why would she do that? She’s never hit another pony before… ever…”

Wild shifted uncomfortably beneath the weight of the fillies, and Sweetie Belle was the first to get the hint; she lifted herself off of him and stepped away, followed by Apple Bloom, then Scootaloo, until only Honeysuckle sat atop Wild’s chest, staring down at him with tear-filled eyes.

“So…” she sniffed. “So what happens now… Mr. Wings?”

The gray Pegasus sat up and wrapped his legs around Honeysuckle, pulling her into a tight hug as his own eyes began to burn. “I don’t know, Honeysuckle… I don’t know.”

He felt Honeysuckle sniffle a few more times, as if she was doing her very best to hold her emotions in- just like she had that night he’d first met her. The Pegasus chuckled slightly and couldn’t help but smile. You’re so strong, Honeysuckle… you’ll be fine without me.

Suddenly, Honeysuckle sat back and broke his embrace, leaping to her hooves and taking a few steps away before rounding on him, her green eyes moist and blazing.

“No! This isn’t how it’s going to happen!” she exclaimed, drawing blank stares from her friends. She marched back over to where Wild sat, his eyes wide, and she pushed her tiny snout right up against his. “Now you listen to me, Mr. Wings,” she said firmly. “And you listen GOOD.”

Wild swallowed audibly. This must have been what Big Macintosh felt like that day outside the barn… “I’m listening,” he said, a little more meekly than he would have liked.

“Good!” Honey pulled her face back from his slightly, but only slightly, still close enough that he could see every one of the eyelashes surrounding her big green eyes, and count the tears as they trickled down her cheeks. “What happened to my Momma? Is she still in town?”

Wild thought for a moment before shaking his head slightly. “I don’t think so, Honey; she took off to the east from the market, towards Sweet Apple Acres.”

“Then you need to go to Sweet Apple Acres and talk to her again!”

“Honeysuckle…” he began, but the filly wasn’t going to hear any of it. She poked him in the chest with a hoof firmly… but when she spoke her voice was sad and desperate.

“No, Mr. Wings, you’re going to go talk to her! Because… because you have to… because she DOES love you, Mr. Wings! I KNOW she does!!” Her lip quivered, and Wild felt his heart breaking even more, if that was possible.

“Honeysuckle,” he began, but the little filly wasn’t having it.

“NO! I won’t let you start talking to me like that!” she said, waving her hoof in front of her madly. “That’s the voice you grown-ups use when you’re going to tell me to stop being silly, or to think prac-tackly, and I ain’t gonna stop because I’m RIGHT!” The tears in her eyes began to pour down her cheeks, and her words became jerky as she plowed on through her sobs. “You never heard her, Mr. Wings; you never heard her late at night, when she thought nopony was around to hear her- never heard her talking to my daddy, asking him what the right thing to do was. You never HEARD her crying herself to sleep at night, but I DID!!” She sobbed raggedly, but she stood her ground and poked him with a hoof again. “I DID! And I heard her whisper YOUR NAME, Mr. Wings; every night, just before she went to sleep… she asked Princess Luna to take care of you…” Honeysuckle sobbed again, and this time she threw herself against Wild Wings, burying her face in his chest. “She never asked for you to come back, never asked for anything for herself… but she ALWAYS asked Princess Luna to keep you safe… because she LOVES YOU, Mr. Wings, and she wants you to be happy, even if you’re not with her!”

Wild Wings squeezed his eyes shut, and fought to keep the sobs from his own voice. “Honey…”

The orange filly tilted her head back and looked him in the eyes yet again. “But you aren’t happy without her… and SHE isn’t happy without YOU.” Honeysuckle sniffled again. “When we lost my daddy… it was hard for us… I didn’t think I’d ever see Momma smile again… but that morning, at Sweet Apple Acres, Mr. Wings… when you said you’d help us with dinner… Momma smiled again… and not just smiled, really actually smiled…”

“Honeysuckle…” Wild took a deep breath, and decided that she needed to hear what was on his heart, because she would probably find it anyway. “…I don’t know if your mom has any room in her heart for me. I… I said that she was hiding behind the… memory of your dad, and while that would keep her safe, she’d never be happy.” He winced as he said it. Wow… now I feel like maybe I earned that slap…

But Honey simply nodded seriously. “She is hiding, Mr. Wings… but it’s because she’s scared.”

“I know she’s scared… I am too.”

Honey tilted her head sideways, her eyes red-rimmed but her tears forgotten in curiosity. “But… really?”

Wild laughed. “Well, yes, of course I am. Loving somepony else is a scary thing, Honeysuckle… you’re putting yourself out there and you might get hurt. That’s scary.”

“Did you tell her that you were scared?”

The simple question caught him off-guard, and he blinked. “Um…” he said.

Honeysuckle sighed and shook her head before throwing a glance at her three friends that clearly said, Do I have to teach him everything? The three other fillies nodded seriously, and Wild suddenly found himself feeling slightly offended, but before he could say anything Honeysuckle spoke.

“Mr. Wings… My Momma loved my Daddy with her whole heart, and when he died… he took a big piece of it with him. I know… I still feel it, cuz he took some of mine, too.” She touched her chest, but her smile stayed in place as she looked up at him. “And my Momma… well, she doesn’t know if she can love another pony like she loved him… and even if she can…”

“…she could be hurt like that again,” he finished for her. He sighed. So this wasn’t about “betrayal”… that was just to keep me away. She’s afraid of giving her heart to anypony else… because she’s afraid to lose anypony else.

Honeysuckle nodded. “But you were right, Mr. Wings… she won’t be happy unless she can give her heart to you.” She touched his chest with a hoof, right over his heart. “She wants to, Mr. Wings… but you’re going to have to give her yours, first.”

“She already has it, Honey,” he said softly, putting his hoof on the little filly’s head and smiling. “I tried to tell her that, but she was… well, no. I was upset, and didn’t say things very well.”

“Well, you need to tell her again! And this time, do a better job,” Honeysuckle said matter-of-factly. Behind her, Sweetie Belle and Apple Bloom nodded emphatically, their eyes full of tears, while Scootaloo pretended to be bored and made a disgusted noise, even as she brushed a tear from her own eye.

Wild Wings looked at the filly again, and after a long moment, he sighed dramatically. “WELL… if you insist,” he said, doing his best to look bored.

Honeysuckle made a shocked noise and punched him solidly in the chest. “MR. WINGS,” she scolded, and he couldn’t help but laugh.

“Oh Honeysuckle… you crazy little filly.” He pulled her close for a hug again, and when he let her go he smiled at her, that familiar twinkle back in his red eyes. “Now… I am going to need some help… from somepony who knows Ponyville a bit better than me.” He glanced at the sky; the sun was halfway behind the horizon, and he felt his hopes drop into his stomach. “Oh… I don’t know if any store is going to be open at this time of night…”

Sweetie Belle leaped up beside Honeysuckle. “What KIND of store, Mr. Wings?” she asked excitedly. “Tell us! We know everypony in Ponyville, and I KNOW they’d love to help!”

“Yeah!” Apple Bloom agreed, leaping up to Honey’s other side. “Everypony’s real helpful here in Ponyville, an’ Ah just KNOW we’ll cain get what y’all need if’n ya tell us what it is!”

Scootaloo waved from her spot a few feet away, apparently bored with the whole endeavor. “Yeah… yay and stuff,” she said, but her wings were standing up, and her eyes kept bouncing back to Wild Wings eagerly.

The gray Pegasus smiled and arched an eyebrow at Scootaloo. “You do know that I’m training Rainbow Dash, don’t you?” he said casually.

Faster than he could have thought the little Pegasus was standing next to Apple Bloom, her eyes the size of dinner plates. “What do you need us to do?!” she asked emphatically.

Wild laughed loudly, and smiled at the fillies. “Thank you, girls… thank you for tackling me.” He chuckled. “I think that’s the first time I’ve ever said that.” He shook his head and leaned down, putting his snout level with the fillies. “Now… I need a store that…”

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

The sun had just dipped behind the horizon and the stars were coming out as Thistledown finally made her way into the farmhouse of Sweet Apple Acres, her eyes red and her cheeks still damp from her tears. She had hoped that the other occupants of the home would still be outside when she arrived, but apparently luck was not on her side; the entire Apple family, minus Apple Bloom, sat at the table in the dining room adjacent to the front door.

“Well howdy Thistledown,” Applejack greeted her, not looking up from shifting plates around on the table. “Yer just in time! Apple Bloom told me she an’ Honey’d be back ‘round sunset, so we waited t’ have dinner ‘til then. Granny Smith made some o’ her fresh potato soup, an’…” The orange pony raised her eyes, and when she saw Thistledown her words died in her mouth. “…sugarcube?” she said, stepping away from the table. “Is, uh… ev’rythin’ alright?”

Thistledown nodded for a moment… but as she did, fresh tears sprang to her eyes, and her nod turned into a firm shake of her head, accompanied by a sob that began to claw its way out of her throat. Applejack sighed and glanced back at her brother and grandmother. “Y’all jus’ wait fer Apple Bloom; if’n she shows up whilst I’m talkin’ t’ Thistle, start without me.” Then she turned to Thistledown and ushered her into the kitchen.

Once the two of them were out of sight, Applejack reared up and hugged Thistledown firmly around the neck, holding her close. Thistledown buried her eyes against the toned earth pony’s shoulder and felt her sorrow well up again.

“Tell me what happened, sugarcube,” Applejack said softly.

Thistle sighed raggedly, and Applejack let her go, dropping back to all four hooves but still staying close to her. “Applejack… Wild Wings came to town and… and found me in the market.”

Applejack nodded, as if that didn’t surprise her at all. “Well, t’ be expected, really. Y’all did say y’all were gonna talk today, an’ I expect t’wasn’t hard fer him t’ figure out where you’d be.”

The amethyst mare thought for a moment before nodding. “Well… that is true… but… but what he said, Applejack…” She sighed, feeling the fear and sorrow from earlier climb her throat again. “He said that I was… that I was scared… that I was letting Steady’s memory keep me from being happy…”

The orange mare watched her very closely for a moment, and when she spoke it took Thistledown a moment to comprehend what she’d said:

“Well… ain’t that the truth?”

Thistle blinked. “Wh-what?”

Applejack sighed in vexation. “Thistledown, I swear, y’all struck me as a very smart mare when I first metcha, but I think I might hafta change that opinion.” She took a few steps around Thistledown, as if searching for the right words; finally, she turned her green eyes back to Thistle, and in their depths she saw both sympathy and firmness. “Thistledown, I know what it’s like t’ lose somepony you care about.” She nodded to the picture of her parents that hung on the wall near the door. “I know that it cain be scary tryin’ t’ move on… but ya hafta. Ya cain’t let memories keep y’all from bein’ happy, especially in yer case.” AJ took a few steps towards Thistle, and her voice became soft. “Do you really think that Steady Plow is lookin’ down on ya right now, glad that yer not happy?” She smiled gently. “Don’cha think it’s more likely that he’s lookin’ down on ya, wanting y’all to be happy?” She hesitated. “Don’cha think he’d want his daughter t’ have a good pony as her father?” she said finally.

Thistledown felt anger rise in her throat again, spreading out across her body; what did Applejack know?! How DARE she…

And then she looked into her friend’s eyes, and she felt the anger recede. She took a deep breath, and after a few moments she found a voice that wasn’t yelling very angry things.

“I… I’m scared, Applejack,” she said finally, the truth in the words strengthening her quavering tone. “I don’t want to forget Steady… and I’m afraid that if I let myself love another stallion… he’ll just sort of…” The tears returned, and Thistle fought to maintain her composure. “…that he’ll sort of just fade away… and it’ll be like he never existed…”

“That’s a bunch of hogwash,” Applejack said firmly. “And y’all know it.” She reached out and poked Thistle firmly in the chest, right above her heart. “He’s in here, ain’t he?”

“Well… yes…”

“Then he ain’t never gone,” AJ said. “An’ he’ll always have a special place there, no matter WHAT. It don’ matter if’n you went off an’ fell in love with a dozen more stallions; Steady Plow will always be right there, in yer heart.”

Thistledown couldn’t help but chuckle. “…a dozen, AJ?”

The orange mare rolled her eyes and chuckled. “Well, ya get th’ point. And as far as bein’ scared? Shoot, y’all shoulda seen Wild Wings when he came in here yesterday mornin’, askin’ about you. He was more scared than one o’ my prize pies at the county fair pie eatin’ contest.”

Thistle’s eyes narrowed slightly at the other mare. “You… you talked to him about me?” she asked suspiciously. “Yesterday… before he came to see me?”

“Sure did. Asked about y’all directly, an’ since that was part-an’-parcel o’ the whole promise…”

“…I’m going to have to have a word with Twilight about her interference with our promise-making.”

“The point is, Thistledown, that Wild is jus’ as scared as you are. He’s tryin’ t’ give up EVERYTHIN’ he has t’ be with you an’ that filly o’ yours.” Applejack’s voice was gentle but firm. “An’ if’n y’all want HIM… yer gonna hafta let him into yer heart, Thistle. Ain’t no two-ways about it.”

Thistledown nodded, and tears slowly traced their way down her cheeks. “I… I know, Applejack…”

“An’ do y’all want him t’ be with ya?”

“…yes,” she whispered, her tears surging at the admission. “I want him to be with me… more than anything, AJ.”

Applejack’s hoof settled lightly on her shoulder, and Thistle turned to look into her friend’s eyes. “Then y’all’re gonna hafta make peace with yer heart first,” she said simply.

Thistledown watched Applejack closely for a moment before stepping forward and laying her neck across her friend, pony-hugging her closely.

“Thank you, Applejack,” she whispered. “I don’t know what I’d do without you.”

“Yeah… y’all are kinda helpless,” AJ said nonchalantly. Thistledown giggled in spite of herself, then stepped back and offered her friend a brave smile.

“I… I think I need some air,” she said. “Please, go ahead and eat without me.”

AJ nodded, and the two mares walked back towards the dining area, Thistle turning to the door as AJ continued on. As she shut the door behind her, Thistle swore she heard Applejack loudly complain that Apple Bloom wasn’t back yet.

The sun had fully set, and Luna’s brilliant stars were burning brightly in the clear night sky as Thistle made her way across the wide lawn, the cool autumn night chilling her flushed face. The mare stood still for a moment, her eyes closed as the light breeze caressed her, her mind and heart finally, blissfully at peace for the first time in two days. Applejack’s words had been true, as true as the day is long… and now...

Thistledown opened her eyes and began walking again, the land of Sweet Apple Acres cast into silver light and shadow as Luna’s moon rose over the land, the bright orb almost three-quarters full and casting just enough light for Thistle to see by. Slowly the mare drifted from fenced garden to fenced garden, passing the barn and shed until finally her hooves stopped her before one particular garden. It was nothing special, really; a smaller patch compared to the rest of Sweet Apple Acres, holding perhaps a dozen tomato plants and two dozen pepper plants, red and green… but it was a familiar spot to Thistledown, and without a second thought she entered the fenced area, shutting the gate behind her. The leaves of the plants brushed gently against her legs as she walked slowly among the plants, her eyes never leaving the stars above her. She came to a small open spot at the end of the row and sat down, the plants rustling around her as if greeting her to their world.

She took a deep breath, and smiled up at the stars. Steady, she thought. I know… that it’s been a long time since I talked to you… and I’m sorry. I want you to know that… no matter what happens… you’ll always be Honeysuckle’s father… and you’ll always be my first love. Thistle felt tears spring to her eyes, but she smiled anyway, the salty taste of tears touching the corners of her mouth as she continued. I’ve hidden behind you for too long, Steady… and what Applejack said is right. I know you wouldn’t want that. She chuckled silently. It would just figure… something that I thought was a bad thing turns out to be exactly the thing I needed to happen. I know you’re getting a kick out of that. Thistledown took a deep breath. I love you, Steady, and I always will… but I know you brought Wild to me… and…

Behind her, she heard the gate open and shut quietly. She glanced over her shoulder… and her heart leaped into her throat.

Wild Wings stood there near the gate, his gray coat appearing more silver in the moonlight, his red eyes on her.

Thistle froze, and fear began to bubble up in her chest… but after a moment he gave her a small smile before making his way slowly to her side, picking his path carefully through the plants until he was right next to her, where he sat down with a sigh and cast his own eyes to the stars above.

The mare couldn’t help but watch him, bathed in the light of the night; her heart began to beat almost painfully in her chest, hard enough that the gentle sounds of the night were beginning to fade in its wake. She took a deep, steadying breath, and turned her eyes to the stars as well.

They sat together for several minutes- exactly how long, Thistle could never remember- until finally he shifted. “I’m sorry,” he said softly. “About… what I said earlier. It was wrong of me, and I hope that you can forgive me.”

Thistledown nodded, her eyes still on the sky. “I accept your apology… even though you were absolutely right.” She sighed. “And I apologize for… hitting you. I am so sorry… normally I don’t… well, hit others.”

She heard him chuckle. “Yeah… it’s probably a good thing. You pack quite a punch.”

Thistledown turned to him, her eyes shining in the starlight as she smiled mischievously. “That wasn’t even a hard punch,” she said lightly. “You should see what happens when I buck apples with Applejack.”

The Pegasus met her gaze and smiled slightly. “I don’t doubt that you’re a force to be reckoned with,” he said.

The two lapsed into silence again, each watching the other closely, staring into one another’s eyes as if they could never see enough. Finally, Thistle broke the silence.

“If… if this is going to work, Wild Wings, I need a few things.”

“Name them.”

“Well… first off… no taking Honey for ice cream after school. It ruins her appetite for dinner.”

“… how about on Fridays?”

“… fine. Fridays only.” She sighed. “Second, please, if you’re going to fly her around, make sure she takes a brush with her; flying ruins her mane, and it is so adorable when it’s brushed.”

Wild chuckled lightly. “I think I can handle that.”

Thistledown turned to him, and suddenly couldn’t keep the tears from her eyes. “And third… I… I need you to promise me that you’re not going to leave me… Because…” She stifled a sob, and he scooted close enough to her for her to bury her eyes into his shoulder. “Because I love you… and I couldn’t bear to lose you…” she said shakily. “I know that… it’s ridiculous to ask for that… but… I need to hear it…”

She felt him shift, and he sat back slightly. With his hoof, he gently touched her chin, lifting her eyes to meet his; those amazing, shocking red eyes that had captured her heart the moment she saw them.

“It’s not ridiculous,” he said gently… and he extended his right wing forward, depositing a small box into his hoof.

Thistledown’s eyes widened until she felt like they might pop out of her head, and it felt like Applejack had dropped a whole tree on her. Slowly, Wild brought the box in front of him, and with both hooves he opened it.

Inside was a single ring, obviously made to go on the lobe of the ear; it was simple, a band of silver with a small, sparkling diamond at the center that blazed with color in the light of the moon.

“It’s not your average stone,” she heard him say. “It’s actually what Princess Luna calls a Tear of the Moon, a diamond that shines all the brighter in moonlight. I was surprised to see that Ponyville had one, but the broker said that it’s been there for a while, and nopony was interested in it.”

Thistledown stared at the ring, then finally brought her eyes to his. “What… what are…” she said numbly.

Wild chuckled slightly. “Well… I thought that was obvious. I’m giving you my heart.” He pulled the ring from the box. “I was locked in a spell for almost a thousand years, Thistledown. I missed a lot of life… and I don’t intend to miss any more. But during these three months I’ve realized that anything I do with the life I’ve been given won’t mean anything if I can’t do it with you.” He reached up and placed the ring onto her left earlobe before sitting back, his red eyes intent on hers. “Thistledown… will you do me the honor of becoming my wife?”

Tears welled up in Thistledown’s eyes, and she couldn’t restrain the sobs anymore. She felt like her heart was trying to leap out of her throat and hug him itself; she threw her hooves around him and pulled him close, sobbing quietly against him as he wrapped his wings around her gently.

After several minutes, she heard him chuckle. “So… is that a yes?”

She half-choked a laugh. “Y-yes, you big idiot… of course, yes.”

She felt his hooves on her shoulders as he pushed her back slightly; his eyes met hers again… and he kissed her.

Thistledown leaned into the kiss, wrapping her forelegs around his neck as every last ounce of fear and anger and hesitance evaporated from her; in their place rose one, incredible, unbelievable feeling, a feeling that she had long ago thought she would never feel again.

She was in love with this stupid Pegasus… and she would be with him forever.

After what seemed like an eternity and a split second Wild broke the kiss, leaving Thistledown decidedly short of breath. He smiled down at her, bumping his nose against hers. “Are you all right?” he asked softly. Thistle nodded absently, not trusting her mind to actually form coherent words at that moment. To her surprise, Wild Wings grinned and turned away from her. “Girls? She said yes!”

From the bushes outside the garden rose a loud cheer, and four fillies burst from the foliage, leaping and shouting together in a jumble of incoherent words. One of the small silhouettes broke away from the rest, slammed open the garden gate and came barreling towards the two ponies at the end of the path; Thistledown saw a pink and white mane bobbing among the plants, and within a few seconds Honeysuckle threw herself at Wild Wings, her eyes glittering with tears.

The gray stallion caught her deftly, pulling her close to him as she sobbed loudly, and just like that Thistledown’s own tears were flowing again; she sniffled and moved closer to the stallion she loved, resting her head on his shoulder as he wrapped one of his wings around her. Honeysuckle turned her head and looked at Thistle, her cheeks streaked with tears.

“Y-you really said yes, Momma..?” she asked haltingly. “A-are you really gonna marry Mr. Wings?”

Thistledown could only nod, and the happiness that blazed in Honeysuckle’s eyes was enough to render her completely speechless.

The little filly sniffled. “I love you, Momma,” she whispered. Then she wrapped her tiny hooves around Wild Wings’ neck. “And I love you too… Daddy.”

The moon rose higher over Sweet Apple Acres, shining its silvery light over the three ponies who had finally found one another, and in spite of all odds had come together to make the most incredible thing known to pony-kind:

A family.

Epilogue

~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Ten months later
~*~*~*~*~*~*~

The nurse at the front desk of the Whinnyapolis Hospital nodded to Wild Wings as he walked past out the door and onto the front lawn; the gray Pegasus nodded back, smiling broadly as he exited the building and stepped into the bright late spring sunshine. He stretched his wings and considered taking a few laps around the hospital, but just as he was about to leap into the air a deep voice called to him from the street.

“Hey there, I know you’re not planning on taking a flight right when we show up, are you?”

Wild Wings rolled his eyes dramatically and stamped a hoof. “Shooter, you know just how to ruin my fun.”

The dark blue Pegasus laughed as he made his way through the gate and into the yard, spreading his large blue wings in a shrug. “What can I say? While Thistle’s in the hospital, somepony has to keep your head out of the clouds.”

“I’ve always hated that expression.”

“I know.”

Wild glared at him playfully before rolling his eyes again and laughing; he stepped forward and embraced his best friend, clapping a hoof across his back. “I’m glad you could make it, buddy,” he said.

“You know I wouldn’t miss this for the world,” Shooter replied quietly.

The gray Pegasus stepped back and frowned. “But… why are you walking? I expected to be able to meet you in the air.”

The answer to his question bounced through the gate next, and Wild smiled broadly as Pinkie Pie frolicked over and leaned against Shooting Star affectionately. “Well, I TRIED to get him to fly us both here, but he just muttered something I didn’t quite catch that sounded a LOT like ‘Didn’t want to make Wild feel bad’ but that I think was PROBABLY something more like, ‘Should have kicked the piled seal bed’, which really didn’t make ANY sense, Shootie!” The pink pony giggled and nuzzled the blue Pegasus, who blushed fiercely. Wild laughed loudly at his friend.

“Oh ho HO, Shooter! Looks like you’ve found a pony of your own to keep you grounded!”

Pinkie Pie grinned mischievously. “Oh don’t worry… He’ll take me flying one day! I have plaaaaaaaaaaans…”

“And I’m sure that Shooting Star will do each and every one of them,” a voice said behind the couple. Wild looked behind Pinkie Pie to see a white unicorn enter the gate, her sunrise-colored mane falling in gentle waves around her shoulders and her silver crescent moon earrings shining in the bright sunlight.

“Morninglight,” Wild said with a smile, hurrying over and giving his friend a hug across the neck. “I’m glad you could make it. I wasn’t sure if you could come all the way from Canterlot. That’s quite a teleport, even for you.”

Morning hugged him for a moment longer before stepping back, her eyes bright. “Well, that’s the thing… I didn’t teleport.”

Wild frowned. “Oh? But… it would have taken you a lot longer to get here by train, and even by flying chariot it’s almost half a day.”

“Oh no, don’t misunderstand. I was teleported, but I didn’t cast the spell.” She stepped to the side and bowed slightly… and Princess Luna entered the gate, her mane flowing around her shoulders as she smiled at the Pegasus.

Wild grinned so broadly he thought his face would split. “Princess..?! How… why…!”

The Princess of the Moon giggled lightly. “Wild Wings, I am surprised at you.” She stepped forward and embraced him, hugging him tightly for a long moment before stepping back, her teal eyes sparkling. “Did you really think that I would miss the birth of my friend’s first foal?”

“Speaking of,” Shooting Star said, “Isn’t Thistle waiting on us?”

“Oh! Oh yeah!” Wild rustled his wings excitedly, his eyes darting from one pony to the next. “Sorry… I just can’t believe you’re all here…” He laughed lightly to himself and turned back to the door. “Well… wait until you see this.”

He led the way through the hospital, taking several flights of stairs upwards until they reached the appropriate floor. Princess Luna drew many eyes, but if the Lunar Monarch had any idea the sensation she was causing, she didn’t show it; she looked as giddy and excited as the rest of them, almost rivaling Pinkie Pie as far as bubbling excitement went.

Finally Wild came to a door and knocked gently. “Thistle? They’re here.”

“Come in,” came the mare’s reply.

Wild grinned at his friends and opened the door. The room was bright and clean, with sunlight streaming in through the windows and making it feel as if the whole room was glowing. At the far side of the room, next to the bank of windows, was a single, long bed holding an amethyst mare with an emerald-green mane holding a bundle in her front legs. The small group of ponies hurried to the bedside, and Thistledown smiled up at them.

“Good to see you all,” she said quietly, taking a moment to nod respectfully to the Princess. “And as always, a pleasure to see you, Your Highness.”

Princess Luna smiled fondly at Thistledown. “As I told Wild Wings… this is not a day I would miss for the entire world.”

Next to the bed on the other side, a small orange filly popped her head up, her bright green eyes taking in the newcomers; she smiled broadly at Shooting Star and Pinkie Pie, then locked curious eyes on Princess Luna. Luna smiled at her.

“And good day to you, Honeysuckle,” she said kindly.

Wild grinned at her. “Say hello, Honey; Princess Luna won’t bite.”

Honeysuckle blinked at the alicorn for a moment before smiling again. “Hello, Your Highness,” she said quietly. “Did you come to see her?”

“Her?” Luna looked at Wild, her eyes widening.

Wild Wings laughed lightly and nodded to Thistledown, who shifted in the bed and held out the small bundle in her hooves for the room to see.

There, her tiny face peering out through the opening in the blankets that wrapped her was a tiny baby filly; her coat was a deep magenta, and the small tuft of mane adorning her head was smoky gray streaked with brilliant white. The group gasped, and the filly opened her eyes- eyes that were like two brilliant rubies shining out at them.

Next to the bed, Pinkie Pie made a noise that sounded like every adorable thing in the world wrapped into one. “Awwwwwww!!! I want one!” she whispered, and Shooting Star suddenly turned a very brilliant shade of red.

Princess Luna stared in adoration at the foal, and after a moment turned her eyes to Wild Wings. “And… what is her name?” she whispered.

Wild sat down on the chair next to the bed and reached out his hooves; Thistledown handed the foal off to her husband, who held the filly up and smiled at her, the pure joy of her overwhelming him. “This, my dear friends… is Blossom Blaze. Our daughter.”

Chapter 6

The evening breeze was cool beneath Wild’s gray wings as he glided easily over the city of Whinnyapolis, his features broken in a wide smile as he felt the air teasing his feathers and coat. Purely on a whim he gave his wings a sharp pump, tilting them opposite directions and throwing himself into a tightly controlled barrel roll, completing one revolution before flaring his wings and leveling out. His heart felt as light as his wings tonight, and he couldn’t help giving in to his impulses when he felt so good. A few pony-lengths away from him Shooting Star cleared his throat, but when Wild Wings looked at him the other stallion wore a small smile.

“You really are in quite a mood tonight, aren’t you,” he said, his voice quiet. “I guess you really didn’t need me to come along.”

Wild laughed lightly, but he gave Shooter a very grateful smile. “Shooting Star, you know very well that I wouldn’t be here without you… and you also know better than anypony just how nervous I am.” That much was true, at least; in spite of the happiness he felt at the upcoming conversation with Thistledown, the nervousness that lurked in his stomach kept lurching up into his throat. After all, there was no guarantee that Thistledown would want to give a relationship with him a chance, and the thought that she might reject him after all this haunted him.

But his heart knew the truth; that regardless of what happened, he wouldn’t have changed this for the world- knowing that he had followed his heart and really tried with Thistle made all the difference, even if she ended up shooting him down in flames.

Not that the prospect of being shot down in flames is really super appealing… he admitted.

The sun was sinking lower in the sky now, the end of a very long day for Wild Wings finally coming to a close. He hadn’t been able to concentrate on anything all day, and had quickly fallen back on the one thing that he knew would keep his attention: bothering Shooter. He had left his own small house in Canterlot and gone to Shooter’s equally small house nearer to the castle, knocking incessantly on his door at a decidedly uncivilized hour until the blue Pegasus had relented and let him in. After a quick cup of coffee, Wild had explained what had happened before insisting that Shooter not only keep him company the rest of the day but also accompany him to Whinnyapolis that evening. “To make sure I don’t chicken out,” he insisted… but deep down Wild knew just how much he wanted his friend along with him. The rest of the day had been spent following Shooting Star around Canterlot on errands, making snarky comments and generally being Wild Wings, but Shooter had taken it like he always did- with a roll of the eyes and a shake of his head- and in spite of all the annoying antics that Wild had caused throughout the day, Shooter had still come with him tonight.

After everything we’ve been through… who knew that it would be him lending me a cup of confidence. Wild glanced at his friend again and thanked whoever was listening for letting him be friends with Shooter. This moment was going to happen because of Shooting Star, and Wild wanted his best friend to be there, no matter which way things went. He had come to rely on the other Pegasus more than he would admit, and he needed Shooter here with him.

Shooting Star gave him an encouraging nod before turning his eyes to the horizon. “Well, it’s getting close to time,” he said, gesturing forward with a hoof. “Lead the way, Wild.”

The gray Pegasus grinned again. “With pleasure.” The deep orange of the autumn sun flashed across his pinion feathers as he tilted his wings and slid away into the evening sky towards the peaceful city below. He held his turn as the world rose up to meet him, tilting just slightly more to turn the slope into a gentle spiral downwards. Wild scanned the city carefully, his red eyes sweeping the streets, trying to find a familiar landmark that would take him where he needed to be. Finally, he spied the ice cream shop where he had taken Honeysuckle; his wings gave a mighty flap and sent him careening north from there, along the route that Honey had indicated to him the day before.

Despite all of his excitement, despite Shooting Star’s presence and support, as they closed in on Thistledown’s house Wild’s anxiety began to get the better of him, and his heart rose in his throat. He felt that same familiar feeling that had assailed him the day before when he had first seen Thistle again; that horrible, sinking feeling like he was falling into a never-ending abyss, unable to fly away and unable to save himself. The feeling that all of this was futile- that this was just a stupid game and that he should give up and save everypony a huge amount of trouble. His chest tightened as he felt the uncertainty rise higher, threatening to sweep him away and send him flying the other direction.

Then a memory flitted across his mind; the memory of the look he’d seen on Thistledown’s face that night in the garden. That simple, bashful smile illuminated by Luna’s full moon, and those sparkling green eyes that had haunted him for months… and the uncertainty fell away like a good molt, leaving behind a single, firm thought that made him smile roguishly.

I want to see that smile again.

THAT was what drove him, now. Not curiosity, not determination, not courage… but the simple desire to see Thistledown smile again- and he would do whatever he needed to see it again.

Finally, Wild caught sight of Thistledown’s house, and everything else fell away as he turned and landed neatly in the street out front. He rustled his wings briskly and glanced up at Shooting Star, who settled next to him silently. The blue Pegasus met Wild’s eyes, gave him a slight nod and gestured towards the door with an arched eyebrow. Wild Wings grinned slightly and turned towards the door, hesitating only slightly before ascending the short flight of stairs that stood before Thistle’s house. He took a deep breath as he reached the top, raised a hoof, and knocked firmly.

He waited several moments, but no sounds came from inside. They probably didn’t hear me, he thought, so he knocked again, his hoof hitting the wooden door just a little harder than the last time. After all, didn’t want to make it seem like he was breaking in or anything.

He waited a few more minutes… and still no answer.

Wild frowned before knocking again a bit more forcefully. “Thistledown??” he called, leaning to the side to peer in through the home’s front windows. Inside, the house was dark, with no lights on and no signs of movement… and the Pegasus suddenly got a horrible feeling in the pit of his stomach.

“Thistledown..??” he called again, pounding his hoof on the door so hard that it shook in its frame. “Thistle no… please… please don’t do this…” He pounded on it harder and harder, his teeth grinding together as his eyes went from the door to the silent interior of the home and back again. “Thistledown!! Please, answer the door!” he begged.

A hoof landed gently on his shoulder but he shrugged it off, redoubling his efforts against the stupid, stupid door. “THISTLE!” he shouted, his voice suddenly thick in his throat. “Please… open the door…” He felt his eyes begin to burn as his knocking became slamming, and he managed to leave several perfect semi-circles in the wooden door before the hoof on his shoulder returned much more insistently, yanking him back away from the door and spinning him towards the pony who owned the hoof.

Wild stared up at Shooting Star, and the image of his friend was slightly blurry as he fought off tears. “Thistle…” he croaked; at least, he was pretty sure he croaked it- his heart was hammering away in his ears so loudly that he wasn’t sure he’d actually spoken aloud. The horrible feeling in his stomach seemed to expand, sending tendrils of nausea and anger into his body as Shooting Star sighed and shook his head slightly.

“Wild… I don’t think she’s here,” he said gently.

“But… b-but she said that she’d be here,” Wild insisted. “She said we… we were going to talk… she wanted to talk about us…”

Shooter closed his eyes and sighed, and when he met Wild’s eyes again they were full of sadness and sympathy. “I know what she said, Wild… but she’s not here.”

The gray Pegasus stared at his friend, his mind floundering as he tried to grasp what had just happened. But… if Thistle’s not here… then she really didn’t want to talk…? That didn’t make any sense… why would she set this up only to NOT show up?! And set it at her house, no less! Why not just tell him NO right then, and be done with it?!

He could feel the anger pulsing inside him; it flared up around his heart and began to fill him, the flames of it licking his shoulders, his neck and face until it began to hum in his ears as he stared at Shooting Star, trying to make sense of the situation. How could she do this to him… didn’t she know what she meant to him..?

“Ahem.”

Somehow, the simple sound of somepony clearing their throat snapped Wild Wings back to reality. He blinked, and the tears that had been building in his eyes spilled over and down his cheeks; he hastily wiped a hoof across his face, hoping that he got at least most of the offending substance before turning towards the noise. On the steps of the home next to them stood an older earth pony mare; she wore her white mane tied up in a bun and wore wide glasses, but the violet eyes that stared at the two Pegasi over the top of the lenses were as sharp as nails and filled with more than a little suspicion.

“Is there any particular reason,” the mare began, her voice smooth but strong, “that two young stallions such as yourselves would be banging on the door of a young mare’s home? I’m sure you noticed, but Thistledown is out right now.”

Wild cleared his throat and stepped away from Shooting Star, trying his best to regain control of his raging emotions. “Um, y-yes ma’am, there most certainly is a reason. Thistledown asked me to visit her this evening, but… a-as you said, she does not appear to be home… and…” A wave of anger and despair swept over the stallion again, and he was forced to stop talking as he swallowed, trying to keep his voice from shaking.

Luckily for him, Shooting Star stepped forward. “We’re friends of Thistledown,” he explained. “She asked us over for dinner, but-,”

The elderly mare held up a hoof, cutting the blue Pegasus off. Her expression was neutral as she looked hard at first Shooter, then at Wild, who did his best to appear reputable and not the least bit like a burglar. She’s going to call the Guard on us, he thought wretchedly. Any other time he would have been worried about his reputation among the Guards- after all, the three Generals weren’t always looked upon with fondness by the regular troops- but all he could think about right then was that if they got arrested, he wouldn’t find out what had happened to Thistledown.

The mare watched him closely for a moment, and just when Wild had decided that it may just be best to make a break for it, her expression softened; she smiled kindly at the two stallions and adjusted her glasses, her eyes never leaving Wild Wings.

“I saw you here yesterday,” she said to him. “I’ll admit, Thistledown looked most… confused when she left here last night.”

Wild felt his ears droop. “She… left last night? Right after I left..?

“Quite so. And that poor little filly of hers looked very upset. In fact,” she said, leaning down behind one of the large flower pots that adorned her porch. “Little Honeysuckle barely had time to run back and give me this before her mother hustled her off to the train station.” The mare lifted her head from behind the pots, and in her teeth she held a folded piece of paper addressed on the front in hasty scribbles to “Mr. Wings”.

Wild hurried over to her and held out a hoof, allowing the mare to deposit the note onto it. He unfolded it as fast as he could, his hooves shaking as he did so. Inside was a note as hastily scribbled as the name on the outside.

Mr. Wings,

I’m not sure what’s going on, but I heard you and Momma talking downstairs. I know she sounds angry at you but please trust me- she wants you around. We’re going to Sweet Apple Acres tonight. Please come talk to Momma.

Love, Honeysuckle.

“That little filly looked mighty upset,” the mare said again, her eyes watching Wild closely. “Just like you do,” she added. Wild Wings could only nod, and she chuckled slightly. “Well, I’m glad that you got her note. Whatever it says, I hope that you know we are all very fond of Thistle and Honey. We’ve known them a long time- ever since they moved in here before the fire.”

Wild stared down at Honeysuckle’s writing… and felt his emotions begin to right themselves, slowly but surely. She didn’t abandon you… she ran, he thought. But… she still invited you here tonight… so she didn’t PLAN on running. He glanced at Shooter, who seemed to be thinking the same thing, because he nodded meaningfully. She’s scared, Wild thought. She’s listening to her fear, just like Shooter used to. I’m such an idiot…

The older mare cleared her throat softly. “I don’t know how much you know about flowers, Mr. Wings, but let me give you some advice.” She smiled at him again. “A thistle may not be as beautiful as a rose, or as desirable, and she may have more thorns as well; but a thistle is heartier than a rose, and can weather adversity and strife with resilience that a rose could never hope to have.” She nodded. “If you can brave her thorns, a thistle will reward you with loyalty and strength, instead of being just another pretty face in the crowd.”

The gray Pegasus watched the mare for a long moment before smiling slightly and nodding. He could feel his anger beginning to fade, even if it didn’t vanish completely; he should have known that something like this could happen, but he hadn’t thought much about what Thistle might be feeling after he left. He had been so wrapped up in his own mind that he hadn’t thought about what may be going on in hers. And apparently there was plenty going on there. He sighed and held the note out for Shooter, who took it in his teeth and proceeded to place it into the messenger bag he carried tied to his left shoulder. He turned back to the mare and offered her another smile, this one coming easier to his lips.

“Thank you very much, ma’am. I’m sorry if we startled you.”

“Oh not at all,” the mare said, waving a hoof dismissively. “A little excitement is good for these old bones of mine. And besides, if this is what it takes for Thistle to find herself a good stallion, well, so much the better.” She gave Wild a very knowing wink, and in spite of himself the gray stallion blushed slightly. “Have a good night, the both of you,” she said, and with a final nod to them both she turned and went back into her home, shutting the door behind her with a click.

Wild let out a heavy sigh, but even before he could speak he felt Shooter nudge his side with his head, hard.

“What the hay, Shooter?” he snapped, shuffling on his hooves and rustling his wings irritably. “Can’t you see I’m thinking, here?”

Shooting Star nodded, but his eyes were fierce. “Yeah, I can see that. I see you standing there, thinking, when you should be in the air flying.” He glanced at the sun, then back to Wild. “If we go now, and fly like a dragon is chasing us, we can reach Ponyville before sunset.”

Wild Wings stared at him for a long moment, his mind and heart warring within him. Logic and emotion attacked each other inside him, and with each passing second he felt more and more conflicted on everything. Thistle obviously was having the same kinds of problems… did he really need to go see her right now? He supposed it wouldn’t hurt to wait a few days, see if things calmed down…

But even as he thought it he felt his heart reject it… and he knew beyond the shadow of a doubt that he could not spend even one more night without having this resolved.

He gave Shooting Star a small smile. “So does this mean you’re sticking around to watch the fireworks?”

The blue Pegasus shook his head slightly as he turned away and spread his wings. “No; I’ll fly with you to Ponyville, but when it comes to Thistledown, you’re on your own.” He glanced back at Wild and nodded.

“As it should be,” Wild agreed, stepping up beside his friend. “This has to happen between her and I… for better or worse.”

Shooter watched him closely for a moment before giving his wings a flap and launching himself into the air, and Wild followed him into the sky, his mind racing as he rose… but one thought surfaced above them all.

Princess Luna… please be with me.

~*~*~*~*~*~

The sun was hanging low in the western sky, casting a soft orange glow over the town of Ponyville as Thistledown slowly picked her way through the market, the basket in her mouth half-full of odds and ends that she had found. Most of the vendors were beginning to pack up what was left of their wares, but they were all more than happy to let Thistle browse the remainders of their stock in hopes that they may not have anything to put away, at all. Thistle poked and prodded through leftover apples, peaches, pears, kiwis, and kumquats, as well as various odds and ends such as can openers, mixing spoons and shelving units. It seemed like even though Ponyville was a good deal smaller than Whinnyapolis she would be able to find everything that she could ever want or need here.

Well… almost everything.

With a smile at the cream-colored mare behind the stall Thistle leaned down and sniffed the last few roses and lilies that sat in their baskets. In truth, Sweet Apple Acres had been very well stocked when she arrived, and they didn’t even need anything from the market… but after the night before, Thistledown’s mind had needed something else to occupy its time, so when Honeysuckle had asked if she could run off and play with her friends at their clubhouse, Thistle had leaped at the opportunity to spend some time by herself.

“These are beautiful,” she commented to the mare behind the stall, giving her a nod of respect. “I can never get my roses to bloom so perfectly.”

The mare smiled happily. “Well, they don’t call me Roseluck for nothing!” she chirped.

Thistledown giggled softly. “Yes, well, you do an incredible job, Miss Roseluck. They are so gorgeous.”

Roseluck nodded. “They’re my pride and joy. Would you like one?”

“Oh, no thank you. Roses are…” Thistledown hesitated. Roses are for when you’re in love, she’d almost said. Immediately, her mind went to Wild Wings, and all of the time she’d spent out of the house trying to distract herself seemed to evaporate in an instant, and all the worry and fear that had swept her away the night before came flowing back, though thankfully not as strongly as it had been.

She had awoken that morning unsure of where she was- a testament to how hurried and emotionally driven her flight to Sweet Apple Acres had been. She had tossed and turned most of the night, and when the sun had finally risen it had taken her several moments to realize that she wasn’t at home, and another moment or two to remember why she wasn’t at home. The guilt she had felt was almost enough to pack poor Honeysuckle back up and get back on the train.

Almost.

Thistledown sighed and shook her head. “I mean… no thank you, Roseluck. They are beautiful, but I will pass for now.” Honeysuckle had been distraught during the train ride and barely any better during the morning, eating her breakfast in tearful silence even when Thistledown had tried to talk to her about all the fun things she would get to do in Ponyville that weekend. Thistle’s heart ached at the memory of her daughter’s green eyes staring down into her cereal, sadness so deep in them that the mare was almost convinced she was looking into her own eyes, and not Honey’s. It hadn’t been until Apple Bloom had gotten up and suggested they visit her friends Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo that Honeysuckle had finally brightened, and Thistledown had told her that she could stay out until sundown with her friends… hoping that the filly would forgive her for what she’d done.

The purple mare nodded to Roseluck again and was turning to leave when the other mare’s voice stopped her.

“Wait just a moment,” she said gently. Thistle hesitated, turning inquisitive eyes back to the other earth pony, who trotted around the stall and picked up one of the smaller roses of the bunch. Its petals were open just slightly in a perfect round bud, and as Thistle watched Roseluck nipped the stem off close to the base of the flower with her teeth, heedless of the thorns that threatened to prick her lips. It was obvious to Thistledown that Rose had done this many times before, and her expertise was clear as the other mare leaned up and touched her mane gently with her muzzle before pulling back, minus the rose. Thistledown lifted a hoof to her right ear, where the rosebud was tucked behind it into her emerald locks.

Roseluck smiled gently at her, her dark, grass-green eyes reflecting unspoken sympathy. “Roses are for everything,” she said. “Not just love. They are love, certainly, but they are also remembrance, friendship and, my personal favorite, hope.” Her smile brightened, and Thistledown couldn’t help but smile along with the other mare. “Whatever’s going on in your life, miss, I know things will look up. Never lose hope!”

Thistledown nodded gratefully, her eyes feeling suddenly warm. “Thank… thank you, Miss Roseluck,” was all she could say. The other mare simply nodded happily and returned to her stall where she began busying herself with putting her flowers away for the night.

The purple mare watched her for a few more seconds then picked up her basket and moved off down the street towards Sweet Apple Acres, content that for the moment she would have some time to think about the whole situation, and that perhaps some hope could indeed be found… if Wild would ever want to talk to her again after this.

She winced as she thought about what must have happened earlier that day when he had shown up at her home; she felt a terrible twisting sensation in her stomach as she thought of Wild’s face, contorted in confusion and anger and sadness. That was the reason she had almost hurried back to Whinnyapolis; the very thought of breaking him as she had been broken was horrifying… but what could she do? She dropped her eyes to the ground as she walked, her shame rising in her throat. Her fear had driven her here, and she couldn’t just yank Honeysuckle back and forth like a ragdoll; her decision had been made, and she had to abide by it... but that didn’t mean she liked it. What is going to happen now? she wondered.

And, as with all of the scariest things in life, the answer simply refused to wait.

The sound of flapping wings drew her attention from the ground up into the sky to the west, into the setting sun. Above her a dark shape passed, a pair of huge blue wings sweeping over her and hurrying off into the distance towards the center of town… but that was not what made Thistledown’s chest squeeze as if she were in a grape press.

From out of the sunset dropped Wild Wings, his gray wings stained orange and red in the twilight, his eyes locked on hers… and the hurt there was worse than she could have ever imagined. She found herself short of breath, and against her will tears sprang to her eyes even before either of them could speak. All of the emotions from the day before came roiling back, twisting and bubbling through her heart as he rustled his wings and tucked them neatly against his sides… everything except the anger. She wasn’t mad at him, anymore; she realized how foolish her anger had been, but that didn’t take away her fear- a fear that threatened to dominate her, to set her hooves into motion and cause her to run away yet again.

But something tempered her fear; something unexpected, something that she had longed to feel ever since she had seen his face again a little over a day ago, something that fate had drawn from the lips of a mare in the street and placed into her mane and her heart: Hope.

The two ponies looked at one another for several long, awkward moments, until finally, setting the basket down by her hooves, Thistledown broke the silence.

“Wild Wings,” she said, proud that her voice trembled only slightly.

“…Thistledown,” he said, nodding to her politely, his red eyes staring into her.

Thistle tried to maintain her composure, but the hope in her was rising and sparking off other emotions that were quickly threatening to sweep her away in a very different way. He came to find me… he came to talk to me even after what I did… She felt her heart swell, and a tear found its way down her cheek as she fought to keep her voice level.

“So… what brings you out to Ponyville?” she asked casually.

To her surprise, Wild’s eyes filled with anger and pain. “Thistle, let’s not beat around the bush, okay?” He took a deep breath, and when he spoke again his voice was hard and quiet. “You KNOW why I’M here. The bigger question is- why are YOU here?”

Thistle frowned, and felt herself stand a little taller. His tone was accusatory, and while he had every right to be angry… Thistledown was not a mare who took that tone well.

“Well… I came to visit Applejack,” she said simply.

“And?” he said, his voice tight.

“And to let Honeysuckle visit her friends,” she said. She could feel the walls of her heart rising again; she didn’t know why she was fighting the issue he was trying to raise, but it was happening.

“And what else,” he prompted.

“And… and I’m quite sure I don’t need to explain myself to-,”

“No, Thistle,” he said sharply, cutting her off. “That is EXACTLY what-,” his voice cracked slightly, and so did Thistle’s resolve, but after a moment he continued, the frustration and desperation clear in his words. “That is exactly what you need to do right now. I don’t… I don’t think you realize what this is doing to me, Thistledown!” His voice rose slightly as he started to pace in the street, drawing the few eyes left in the market. “You told me that you would be there… and then I GET there and find that you ran away?? Running and hiding from me?!” He opened his mouth to continue, but suddenly his eyes widened, and his wings, which had extended as he’d gotten more and more upset, retracted slightly. “No… not running from me.”

Thistledown blinked hard and took a shaky breath. Please don’t…

“You’re not hiding from me. You’re hiding from you. Hiding from yourself… running away from your own feelings because you’re scared!” He took a step closer to her, his eyes a jumble of emotions. “Thistledown… I… all I’ve been trying to tell you these last two days is that I love you, and that I’m willing to throw everything, everything that I’ve got in this world away to be with you… and all you can do is RUN!” To her surprise, tears formed at the edges of his brilliant red eyes. “How long, Thistledown?? How long are you going to run, huh?” He took another step towards her, and his voice dropped to a harsh whisper, clogged with emotion. “How long… are you going to let the memories of Honey’s father keep you from being happy?”

Thistle felt a snap in her mind, and before she could even think her hoof was flying, connecting solidly with the left side of Wild Wing’s face, sending his head jerking the other direction and causing him to stumble slightly.

The earth pony mare blinked in horror as Wild raised his own hoof to his face, where a hoof-shaped mark was beginning to form. By Celestia… what did I just do..?! The hope she’d felt in her chest withered and died as Wild looked at her, tears on his cheeks, his eyes full of the most profound sadness she had ever seen. Thistledown opened her mouth, but only a sob came out. Her shoulders slumped, and suddenly everything was more than she could bear; the fear, the horror, the elation and soaring feelings that she had when he’d said he loved her… everything came crashing down around her head, and there was only one solution. She turned and started to run, run as fast as her legs could carry her, leaving behind the basket, her pride… and any hope that she had for the future.

Behind her, Wild Wings watched her run, his heart aching almost as much as his head.

“Well… a-all right, then…” he said softly. Without another word he turned the opposite direction and started to walk out of town towards Canterlot, his wings drooping almost to the ground.